It Could Happen
by SweetAngels123
Summary: SasuSaku month collection. Chap 31: Wiping the tears of laughter away she smiled, she sure did love her family.
1. What Are You So Desperate For?

When he was young he didn't understand it. He didn't understand how he knew what he knew, and he knew he shouldn't know what he knew. When he was young he knew he was different, after all if he was normal he wouldn't have to seek to make the mistakes of the past right.

As he grew, as would his understanding, he would come to understand how and why he knew this why he had these dreams. No dream was the wrong word for it, they were more than that they were memories. Memories of a different time, and a different place, but most of all a different life.

A life of hatred of kin, a life of loneliness and a path so very different from the road that he was meant to take. It was a terrible life, one that was spent on revenge instead of love, and hatred instead of friendship.

But he learned, with each one.

There were memories of a brother who killed for peace, one who made himself a villain when he should have been a hero, one who loved his younger brother more than his home, more than his own life. From this he learned that he should treasure his brother more than anything. He would not make the same mistake. Itachi would live this time.

There were memories of a blonde who was hated for something he had no control over, who had a dream that he strove for, memories of a bond that no matter what he did he couldn't break. He learned from this that when he found the dobe in this life time, he wouldn't try to break the unbreakable bond that all brother's share, not this time.

And there were memories of a beautiful girl who loved him, who thought the world of him even though he did nothing to deserve it, a girl who he tried to kill him but couldn't do it, and a girl he killed because she was his one weakness, the one thing he loved.

He learned from each one, and slowly he started to try and set it right, to make up for the mistakes that his past life had made. Because maybe he couldn't fix the broken bonds that was team seven because that was not this life. But he could make sure history would never repeat, things would be different this time around. Because they had to be.

And slowly things came together.

He met the dobe again in the third grade. He was loud and obnoxious and still shouted his dreams out to everyone, and anyone who would listen. He was still blonde and still had the whiskers on his cheeks. And he was still his best friend.

Itachi was still his brother but he was much different than the Itachi from the memories, he was happy and he was less stressed. He still had a had a bad habit of poking Sasuke on the forehead and telling him, to wait for next time. But this time there was no death, or deception and things were right. And okay.

And as for the beautiful girl he still hadn't found her again, he was sixteen and she still hadn't came back into his life, and he was scared, so freaking scared that she would never come back. And as he remembered what his past-self had done to her he figured it was karma coming back to bite him in the ass.

After all she had cried for him, and he had only pushed her away, she had jumped in front of blows for him and he had in turn tried so hard to kill her. She had yelled and screamed how much she loved him, and he had stood there and knocked her out.

He decided, at that moment he hated the man that he once was in a different time. And swore to never be him again.

He also decided that it would be justified if he never saw her in this life or the next, because a soul can only take so much before, there's just too much damage done. And there was enough damage between them, to last several life times and then some.

Maybe that's why he was so surprised when he saw the flash of pink on that crowded bus. Normally he wouldn't get excited about it, because these day's there were far too many who imitated her natural locks. But this time it was different, this was a shade of pink that no bottle could ever dream to reproduce.

This hair was pink with natural blond and red strands inlaid, and it was cut in a short cut that was so similar to his last memory of her, that he had to blink back the tears. He drunk in her appearance, she was dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark blue shirt and she was safe and whole and so, so beautiful.

He watched her for awhile, re-memorizing the things he would have thought were annoying if he was in a different time, but it wasn't then and it was now and he memorized the way she shook the hair behind her ears, and the way she closed her eyes slightly before sighing and turning around.

And shocking him with the emerald eyes he only saw at night in his dreams.

Finally her stop came and she stood to leave, she hesitated and turned back to where he was stills staring at her. But she started down the steps and he realized he couldn't let her walk away.

NO! He just couldn't let her walk away he had waited far too long for this, to see her in real life, and not in the dreams and memories of another. He wanted memories of her all of his own; he wanted to apologize even though she might not know why he was saying it.

Even if he had let her watch him walk away, he couldn't watch her walk away from him, he had waited far too long for this. So he flew down the steps after her "WAIT!" she looked back and broke out into a run. He wasted no time in flying after her.

She looked back again and sped up, and Sasuke thanked god for the track team, otherwise he may not have been able to keep up with her. She turned a corner and he had to speed up even more just to keep her in sight.

"WAIT SAKURA!" she slowed to a walk before turning slowly around to stare at him with wide emerald eyes. "H-how do you know my name?" she questioned her voice quivering. He slowed to a walk next to her, he leaned over his hands on his knees, panting "you sure can run Sakura."

"Answer me how do you know my name" he straightened up "you don't remember do you, then again the dobe only remembered flashes and Itachi remembered nothing" she looked at him fearfully "look mister, I don't know you so if you would please just leave me alone."

"NO!" he yelled and grabbed her wrist "you can't leave, not when I just found you again, you can't walk away" she frowned "look I carry pepper spray with me at all times…" but she trailed off when he laughed.

"I'm not going to rape you, that's something I would never do in this life time; however I can't say the same for my last." She looked at him strangely "look I just want to….err I don't know what to say…I've been preparing for this for so long…" she put a hand on his shoulder "what are you so desperate for?"

He looked up "I'm desperate to make it right, to fix the mistakes" her eyes softened "what mistakes" he looks up his eyes dark and broken and confused. And she takes his hand even though she doesn't even know his name. (But deep down she knows, _oh_ she knows)

"Come on my mom's apartment is just around the block we can talk there, since you apparently know me." She leads him down the street. Into a building and up the stairs before pulling a painted key from around his neck "you still paint your keys" she nodded slowly and opened the door leading him inside.

Minutes later their sitting in a brightly lit kitchen steaming mugs of tea in their hands and their staring at each other "how do you know me" Sasuke sighs "have you ever felt like you knew things others didn't?" She stared at him "what do you mean?"

"Have you ever known someone before you met them" she stares at him before a name come whispering up from the depth of her mind and she's not sure how but she _knows_ that's his name. "I've known your name since before I could walk, Sakura" and she takes a sip of tea before she speaks.

"Your name's Sasuke isn't it?" he nods and smiles "you remember" she shakes her head "no, but I feel like I should" and he smiles and there's something so broken about it "no you shouldn't, you shouldn't even be able to stand being in my presence long enough to speak to me."

And she realizes that he never answered her question "how do you know me" and maybe he's brave or maybe he's stupid, oh so stupid but he speaks anyway "I knew you in the last life, and I've been searching for you for ages now in this one."

And maybe she's a little stupid because common sense seems to be telling her to throw him out the door because this was strange, and far too dangerous, and she somehow knows this man, and she feels emotions for him that she knows aren't her own. But she doesn't throw him out instead she says "I loved you didn't I?" and he smiles and it's brimming with bitterness "and I killed you, because I felt the same." If they had been anyone else she would have said they were crazy.

But there was something so honest about him that she knew he wasn't crazy "if that's true then why have you been searching for me?" she asks and he's quite for a moment "because I'm not him. I'm not who I was back then." And somehow she believes him: and although the image is ever so hazy she can see the moment when he killed her, can still see tears that drip from red eyes, and because she believes him she stands and hugs him.

"I don't believe you're him; you wouldn't betray me would you?" And he smiles "no, never" and she smiles "well then, I believe we have some catching up to do, and maybe you can help me remember." He nods and speaks and they talk and smile and laugh and maybe they're not who they once were.

Maybe their love story won't be so complex and maybe it will never be as dramatic or tragic as their last lives were, maybe it won't be a legend, but they are here and they are together. And maybe they aren't in love yet, but if there anything like they were once, they will be.

"_Sasuke-kun, you can kill me" she says panting dropping her katana and spreading her arms "but remember we will meet again" and he's too far gone to be saved no matter what Naruto says, but there's a part of him that doesn't want this. _

_And there's a part of him that prays and clings to her words "it won't be in this life, but we will meet again" and she smiles as his katana pierces her chest blood dripping from her lips, "goodbye, Sasuke-kun" and as she drops to the ground. _

_He realizes he's crying "goodbye Sakura, may we meet again." And he walks away. _

-END-

So after the terrible experience I had with my songfic collection I didn't think I would be around here for awhile but last night I had this idea of Sasuke searching for Sakura after he killed her in the past life.

And since I have always been fascinated by the idea of reincarnation I decided this would be the start of my SasuSaku month collection. So this was for day one "what are you so desperate for?" it had to be in an alternate universe so it's set in present day.

And I just had to add the end because it's the last memory both have from their past lives with each other I actually thought of including the line "For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo." From Romeo and Juliet at the beginning but decided against it.

So yeah this is the first one.

Peace out, and may the force be with you,

Abby


	2. Manipulate

Sakura knew this would be the hardest job she would ever be assigned. She also knew it could make or break her carrier, and she knew that if she didn't play her cards right she doubted she would make it out alive.

Sakura Haruno, was an assassin, she had been trained from birth for this. And now at the age of seventeen she was ready, for the largest job she'd ever taken on. Sakura was to go under cover and kill the heir to the Uchiha clan. So the Uchiha's could never overthrow the government and so that the largest drug smuggling operation could be stopped. Even though her victim was innocent.

His name was Sasuke Uchiha and she was ready, or at least she hoped she was. Because he would be her first kill and they were the ones that haunted your dreams at night, and if she was being honest with herself, she didn't want to kill him. After all they had known each other since the first grade, and had been best friends, for as long as she could remember. He was her first love and one of her most precious people.

And she wished she didn't have to do this.

Sighing she dressed in her black pants and shirt before pulling a mask over her face she strapped her katana to her back securely, before breaking out into a full on run out of her apartment and out into the streets.

Silently she crept closer to the Uchiha residence; she quickly scaled the old tree outside his room and thanked the gods that he had left his window open. If she would have had to pry it open she would have turned back.

She hopped into the dark room and looked around; everything was the same as it should have been, except for one thing Sasuke was not here. Silently she crept around the room wary of the third floorboard that always squeaked, hoping to find some evidence were he could be.

That's when she heard the door open _'shit shit shit'_ she slowly turned around, only to see Sasuke dressed in much the same fashion and with a sinking feeling she knew why he was dressed like that. "H-hey Sasuke-kun" He smirked "hello Sakura it looks like you saved me from having to track you down." Well. Fuck. "Sasuke-kun, what are you-" "the same thing you're doing, I have orders to kill you." Sakura sighed and drew her blade while Sasuke did the same.

They circled each other like hawk's circle their pray, each was on guard "you know Sakura I never thought it would come to this." She hadn't either; she had done everything in her power to avoid this outcome.

"Me either" she coupled her words with a deep lunge catching his arm and leaving a painful but not life threatening diagonal cut. Sasuke frowned and aimed a kick to her stomach, to which she avoided seamlessly.

"I don't want to kill you" she said and he smirked and slashed at her "what makes you think you'll win" she smiled sadly "because I always win" and somehow it didn't sound like she was proud. "Sakura why do you have to make this so hard?" She shook her head and pulled her mask off and threw it across the room, she smiled softly "because, have you ever known me to give up." He smirked light "no, even when you should, you don't." She sighed "do you ever feel like they're just using us, Sasuke-kun?"

He nodded. They were, they had always used them, after all it's taboo and unheard of for a Haruno to befriend a Uchiha. And when the two warring sides found out they planned to use it against the other. They hardly thought anything of the two children who would be caught in the middle.

Those two children grew up, and slowly grew together, they were like the oak's that started out two separate beings and slowly over time twisted together into an unstoppable and beautiful thing. And it seemed fitting that if they had to go down they would go down together. "They use us, manipulate us, and they think nothing of it, how is it fair Sasuke-kun? I hate this; I hate how they want you dead!" He looked at her, her black clothing bathing her in shadows, her alabaster skin glowing in the moonlight, and her pink hair flowing in waves down her back.

"I hate how they want you dead too, Sakura."

And they are quiet for a moment as they dance around each other in a deadly tango, "what kind of people would turn two innocent children against each other."

Sasuke smirked lightly "were far from innocent, Sakura" and she nods "but it's not fair, I don't want to lose you" she jumps back, and Sasuke catches sight of the tears streaming from her eyes "Sakura" and he steps forward. Sakura quickly recovers and get's ready for any blow he was planning against her, but instead he sheathed his katana and opened his arms for her. She smiles slightly and drops her sword abandoning it in favor of the safety of his embrace.

Sasuke wrapped his arms around her small frame he buried his face in her rosette locks breathing in her scent, he savored the sweet scent of her strawberry shampoo and the scent of lilacs that was so natural to her. "Sasuke-kun I don't want to be manipulated anymore."

He sighed and held her tighter "me neither Saki-chan" she laughed lightly "you know I hate being called that" he chuckles "yes but not as much as I hate being called Su-kun" she pulls away slightly just enough to stare up at his face. "Sasuke-kun what would you do if things were different" she waits for him to answer, but after a few moments of silence she sighs and buries her face deeply in his chest again "never mind, it was a stupid question Sasuke-kun."

He gently pulls back and because this may be the last time they see each other, he answers "I would marry you Sakura" and it's not a confession of love but it enough and she smiles, it's small and oh so broken but it's still there . "I would accept immediately, and we would have a lovely wedding" and because he's daring he walks over to the dresser and picks up a small carnival ring and walks back over to her and get's down on one knee.

And she feels like crying, even though she knew she already was "Haruno, Sakura you have been my best friend since we were in diapers" she smiles slightly at all the memories that flood through her mind "you were with me throughout everything and I fell in love with you along the way."

He reaches up and brushes away the tears that stain her cheeks "so I was wondering, would you marry me?" She smiles and nods, she holds out her hand and he slips the ring on. Sasuke slowly stood up only to be tackled back down again. He smiles into the mess of pink hair "yes, yes" and she is hugging the breath out of him, and she's smiling and laughing, and their young and so in love that it doesn't matter anymore. Whatever happens, will happen, and what should be, will be.

And they are okay for the time being, they have each other and things aren't perfect but there close enough "Sasuke-kun what are we going to do?" he runs his hand up and down her spine fingers tracing the silver thread braided into her black top. She doesn't wait for him to answer "I think we should run away and just be free" and she smiles blissfully "completely free, free of burden, free of death, and free to be together" and he smiles "that sounds wonderful Sakura."

Sakura sighs and lays her ear up against his chest so she could hear his heartbeat and she loves the steady rhythm and she yawns "I love you Sasuke-kun" Sasuke smiled "I love you too Sakura, so much" she sighs and curls up against him.

Sasuke pushed his back up against his bed and moved her head onto his thighs, he pulled his black quilt off of his bed and covered her with it, smiling at the way she curled tightly against him. How she went from this dangerous assassin to this beautiful little creature he would never know.

He fingered the pink locks running his fingers threw the silky locks, they had crossed some barriers tonight, and even if he could turn back the clock he doubted he would. He loved her far too much to go back. "What am I going to do with you Sakura?" his only answer was an a small snore, he sighed contently and picked up his cell phone from the side table and scrolled through the contacts until he came upon the dobe's number.

He waited for the idiot to pick up "h-hey teme what'd ya want" came Naruto's sleepy voice, Sasuke sighed and raised a hand to rub his temples "I'm done dobe, they're not going to use us anymore" and he can hear the dobe laughing. "So ya finally grew some balls teme" he sighs and shakes his head "I wouldn't use that analogy, but yes I'm not going to kill Sakura" he hears Naruto yawn "what'd ya want me to do" he smirks, "can you cover for the two of us, for a while."

"Yeah sure thing teme" Naruto yawns again "bye, teme" and Sasuke smirks "bye, dobe" the line crackled before going silent, Sasuke frowned in annoyance "the idiot hung up on me" he shook his head and quickly dialed the airport.

"Hi, yes I would like two tickets" he smirked "no, thank you I want a one way" his smirk softened into a small smile as he traced his finger across Sakura's back "yes, thank you" he hung up the phone and looked down at the sleeping girl, they would be gone by the first ray's of dawn.

He gently shook Sakura awake "Sakura, come on we have to go" she smiles blearily up at him, before nodding and shifting, he smirks when she almost topples over and he has to reach out to steady her "where we going Sasuke-kun?"

He kisses her forehead before stepping back "were getting out of here Sakura" Sakura smiles and lays her head up against him chest "good I can't wait" she yawns and he laughs "are you even awake, Sakura?" she yawns again "yes, no, your comfy" he smirks and scoops her up into his arms.

"Go back to sleep Sakura, I'll wake you when he get to the airport" she nods against his chest and smiles.

Sasuke quickly and quietly grabbed all they would need throwing it quickly into a backpack and making his way through the sleeping household, and out into the night air, he felt the summer breeze tug on his black locks.

He smiled. They were together, they were starting over, they were away from their family's manipulative ways, and most of all they were free.

**-END-**

I don't really think this one is very good but it was all I could come up with for day two "Manipulate"

I briefly considered doing one were Sakura is pregnant and manipulated Sasuke into getting her some strawberries or chocolate but decided against it (but if you want to see it I'll write it) because it would be very short, and I've come to hate, really short stories.

Because you only get a little view and then you have to wait for an update (it's not that it's badly written, in fact their usually better written then the long fanfictions I read) it's just that I'm naturally impatient and hate waiting.

R &R please !

So yeah. Bye.

Peace out and may the force be with you

Abby


	3. Change

Sakura took a deep breath and let it go, watching as her pink bangs fluttered in the air, it was June, it was hot, and it was sticky. It was official she hated their school colors: it was much too hot to be wearing black and navy blue.

It's like they wanted them to get heat stroke.

She shifted her gaze to the two seats on either side of her, on the right Naruto was occupying himself by poking the student next to him, who looked like he was going to snap and kill the blond. On her left Sasuke was, occupying himself by plucking pieces of thread from his tassel.

She sighed and pulled her cap from her head, and pulling her hair up into a messy, but presentable ponytail. Now all she had to do was figure out what to do with her bangs, finally she decided just to leave them alone.

She pulled her cap back onto her head, and leaned back in her seat, she reached under her seat and pulled out a book, she smiled at the title before cracking the thick book open and beginning to read.

'_let's see d__ermatology__ is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its__ diseases__ a unique specialty with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist takes care of diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails..hmm interesting.'_

Sakura sighed, when was this damn ceremony going to get started, she wanted her diploma and she wanted out of the heat. Finally after waiting a good hour principal Tsunade stepped up to the stage. "It would appear superintendent Hatake is late" Sakura scoffed and turned to the two boys on either side of her "when is he ever on time" Naruto grinned and rubbed the top of her head, earning him an annoyed look, while Sasuke just smirked.

"So I will open today's graduation ceremonies, to start us off let's welcome Haruno, Sakura to the stage, your valedictorian" Sakura smiled and stood making her way up to the stage. Tsunade handed her the microphone. Sakura took a deep breath, and pulled her speech out "good afternoon everyone, can you believe it, were actually graduating. I don't know about you all, but there were days when all the drama of high school got to be too much and I thought I would never make it this far."

"But we made it didn't we? And now were on the verge of the next part of our lives, next fall we'll all be off at college and experiencing things we never thought we would. It's going to be hard and it's going to be messy, but we're going to make it." She beamed down at the people in the audience "don't think of this as the end, or a goodbye, think of it as the next part of our lives, were moving on and finding out who were going to be, doing things we've only dreamed about."

She smiled and wiped the tears that were gathering in her eyes "this isn't and never will be a goodbye" she pushed her bangs out of her eyes "thank you" and handed the microphone back to Tsunade.

She sat back down in her seat "you were great Sakura-chan" said Naruto, or more like yelled but hey, he tried. "And what do you think teme?" he received no answer, and Sakura sighed. Things had been so terrible between Sasuke and her all year. But dammit, she couldn't sit back and watch her cheat on him, no matter how much of an ass he can be, he doesn't deserve that. No one deserves that. She did it out of love, and he repays her by watching the situation blow up in her face.

Even when he found out she was telling the truth, he didn't make a move to help her.

But it was senior year and in a few hours time they would be graduated, and she missed late night movies in his living room and staying up talking all night she missed all they did. Even though she doubted he missed her as much as she missed him.

Sakura sighed, playing with the guitar pick that hung from a silver chain around her neck, she was jolted out of her thoughts by the loud clapping, looking around she realized they had already started handing out diplomas, and soon enough her name was being called.

"Sakura, Haruno pre-med" Sakura stood, gathered her gown, and made her way up to the stage and accepted her diploma basking in the applause for a moment, before she made her way back to her seat.

The time passed by in a daze for Sakura, this was it, high school was finally over, everything was going to change. She wasn't ready for a goodbye. She smiled and clapped at the right times and watched as the people she grew up with, got their diploma's ready for the next stage of their lives. She smiled and cheered as Naruto got his diploma and proclaimed a very loud "Believe it!", and because it was possibly the last time no one scolded him to be quite and when it was Sasuke's turn she cheered just as loud, and when he glared out into the crowd she tried not to take it to heart.

Finally when all the names had been called the graduates stood, "I would like to present to you, Kohana Academy's class of 2015!" there was a series of shouts, as black hat's flew above her head blotting out the bright sunlight.

She smiles slightly as Naruto run's over and hug's his girlfriend tightly as she squeaks and blushes, it was an adorable scene and it was being repeated all around her; Tamari and Shikamaru, Gaara and Matsuri, Neji and Tenten, and even principal Tsunade was hugging Jiraiya-sensei.

It felt like she was the only one without someone to hold, and to be held by.

She sighed and quietly slipped away and into the school, It was silent now, almost frighteningly so, without the gossip and voices, to liven up the halls, it was just so empty. So lonely.

She gently ran her fingers across the cool metal of the black lockers, her knuckles gently and lazily knocking up against the metal, she slowly made her way through the deserted hallways, for the last time. She turned the corner. Bumped into something hard, and warm. And then promptly and ungracefully fell backwards onto her ass hitting her head up against the wall. Sakura rubbed the top of her head, hoping to god that she wouldn't have a large bump tomorrow morning.

She sighed and looked up, only to be met with a scowling face "watch were your going, Haruno" she growls "fuck you, Uchiha, fuck you" and he stares at her for a moment before scoffing "leave me alone, Haruno."

And if it had been any other day, she would have left him alone, but it was not just any day, it was graduation, it was goodbyes, it was ending's, it was closer that they all needed, and it was permanent.

So she didn't. Couldn't let him walk away this time.

Sakura grabbed his wrist tightly, and hauled herself up off of the cool tile "I'm sorry Sasuke-san" she hated who the san felt so bitter against her tongue "but I can't do that, not today" and he glared at her, his dark eyes becoming even darker, until they were the blackest of blacks.

"Why do you hate me so much Sasuke-san?" and she was surprised how strong her voice was, compared to how she felt on the inside. Sasuke doesn't answer opting to stay completely still and stare at her. "What changed between us Sasuke-san we were the best of friends" she smiled at the memories streaming though her mind "it was you, Naruto, and me" Sasuke frowns "you have to grow up someday Sakura, everyone does."

She sighs and spins around in a lazy circle, her long graduation robe's flying around with her "change" she murmurs "god's how I hate that word, why is It that every ounce of change is coupled with goodbye?"

"I don't want to say goodbye anymore" Sasuke sighs and takes her by the hand leading her into a empty classroom.

He pushes her onto the smooth surface of a nearby desk, and moved up to the front of the room pacing back and forth "Sasuke-san you never answered me why do you hate me so much?" He growls and turns to face her "I don't hate you, I hate what you did" now Sakura is angry "excuse me for telling you that bitch was cheating on you" Sasuke turns away and began to pace again.

"That's not it Sakura" Sakura was quite ready to rip the hair out of her head "then what is it Sasuke because clearly I don't understand" and suddenly he's in front of her "you kissed him right in front of me Sakura."

"Wha…" and suddenly it came back to her "oh" they'd been on a picnic at the lake and Naruto had accidentally knocked her into Sai, who wrapped his arms around her to brace himself while she did the same to him, to anyone who didn't know what happened it would have looked like they were making out.

"Yeah, oh" they were silent for a moment before she spoke "it was an accident, you know Naruto knocked me into Sai" Sasuke frowns and moves to sit on the desk next to her he lay his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry Sakura" he mumbles and Sakura almost didn't catch it but she does and it makes her smile "you know Sasuke, I really don't know why it bugs you so much you don't like me do you" she waits for his flat out denial but when it never comes she looks over at him.

"Do you?"And he doesn't answer instead he stands and walks over to her desk his feet clanking on the freshly polished floor, he stops in front of her and one moment she's staring into his eyes and the next his lips were on hers and her fingers were fisted in his hair.

"Does that answer your question" she nods breathless "yeah, I like you to Sasuke-kun" he smiles when he hears the right suffix at the end of his name "good" and then he pulls her back into another kiss.

Oh hell, mused Sakura maybe change wasn't so bad after all…

_**END**_

The prompt for day three was "change" so I decided what's a bigger change then graduation high school and new relationships…

I decided one major aspect would be the hatred of time and change…I personally am quite scared of change, and the same goes for time… and yeah it's so cliché Sasuke's kiss got Sakura over her fear of change and time…I'm such a hopeless romantic, and overly dramatic but that's beside the point.

Normally i wouldn't set something in the future even if it's just a few years but i am the class of 2015 so yeah that's why it isn't set in 2011...also thank job's syndrome for the reason i'm sitting down and actually writing this instead of being outside damn stupid abcess's it even hurts to walk

So yeah this was for day three.

Peace out and may the force be with you,

Abby


	4. Burning, Ignite

He was always the cold one, always there, always admired, always quiet. And for the most part people ignored him, didn't pay him a second thought well except for the fan-girls, he was just another boy growing up without parents because of the third world war.

He was okay with being over looked; it left him to his thoughts. And all though he realized that sometimes his thoughts sometimes took disturbing turns, he welcomed the silence that seemed to follow him, he welcomed the time he could just sit and think.

He didn't have many friends; in fact he only had two. One was Naruto Uzumaki, he was loud and obnoxious, bright and strange, and just like Sasuke he had lost his parents and family to the war that was being waged. The other was Sakura Haruno, she was exotic, with her bright, bright pink hair, and jade eyes, she was happy and carefree, and oh so fiery, she had parents and a perfect life.

And though he tried so hard not to he sometimes envied her.

He sighed and leaned his head on top of the desk. Only to be poked repeatedly until he looked up to see Sakura standing next to him, a mechanical pencil in hand, that he assumed she had used to poke him. "What, Sakura" he ground out, she looked at him funny "it's the end of the day Sasuke-kun, it's time to go."

He stares at her "so, why didn't you leave me?" she fidgets with her pink hair pulling the two ponytails out and letting the shoulder length hair free of the pig tails that previously bound it "I didn't leave because we have that biology project, on one specific disease and it's treatments."

"So why didn't you leave?" Sakura sighs "I would have left you, but you don't know the way to my house, and it's mandatory we both work on it" Sasuke sighs, Sakura was just as smart or smarter than him being his only competition for the top marks in the class and could surely do the whole thing herself.

But she wasn't lying their biology teacher had specifically said that they needed to work on every stage of the project together, otherwise there grade would be docked severely. And their marks were far too important to both of them to let that happen.

"Fine, lead the way" Sakura smiled and led him out of the school building, and out into the snow covered streets, they walked in silence for a good twenty minutes before he became curious as to where they were going.

They had long since passed the neighborhood were Naruto and himself lived and were gradually approaching the poorer section of town. Sakura turned back to him a small smile on her lips "were almost there." He frowned but didn't press her instead he concentrated on watching his surrounding, they were heading into unknown territory for him, and he wanted to know his way back if he ever needed to come back.

Sakura turned down a street before leading him up to a rundown looking home with peeling blue paint "this is where you live?" Sakura frowned "yes why?" she waited for him to answer but when he didn't she walked up to the front door and unlocked it with the key that hung around her neck.

She led him inside, and bent down to greet a small tabby that rushed out of an adjacent room to greet her, "Hey little princess" the cat mewed and Sakura laughed and scooped her up in her arms "come on, Sasuke-kun let's go up to my room." Sasuke looked around as she led him up an old staircase, the house looked a little less run down on the inside then the outside and a little homier, Sakura reached the top of the stairs moments before Sasuke did.

Opening the first door she stepped inside motioning for him to follow, he hesitated but complied. And instantly regretted it when his eyes were assaulted by bright blue walls, once his eye's adjusted he took in the appearance of the room, it wasn't big there was a dresser, a vanity a desk, a small bed, and a closet and that was about it.

But Sakura made the most of the space filling it with various shades of blue and white, and there were pictures all over her walls some framed some taped on with masking tape, the room felt warm and bright.

Sakura plopped the cat down on the bed and scratched its stomach, smiling when it let out a content purr, she turned to Sasuke "okay let's get started I have some medical journals and poster board in my closet" she clapped her hands together and made her way over to the white painted doors.

Opening them she pulled out three different colored poster boards; one red, one blue, and one a deep green. She sat them on the ground before pulling out three books and setting them on the floor; she then walked over to her desk and grabbed various high lighters and a few pens and pencils.

"Okay, Sasuke-kun dig in" he shot her a curious look but didn't say anything instead he plopped down on the floor and picked up one book and looked at the cover. He didn't even understand that. "Sakura you actually understand this?"

Sakura took the book from his hand "yeah it's a book about Cystic Fibrosis" he pointed to the other two "the first is about very rare diseases the second is about Job's syndrome" Sasuke frowned "were did you get these?"

Sakura went quite and Sasuke decided not to press it, instead he picked up a book and began to read, after a while his mind began to drift "Sakura?" she looked up from her book "yes?" he hesitated "how can you afford the tuition at school?"

Sakura looked surprised "oh well, I wasn't expecting that" she gently marked her page and turned so she was laying facing him "it's actually pretty simple I can't" Sasuke frowned "but then-" she smiled "my mom can't pay, but I'm smart enough to get in on scholarship" she gently punched him "we can't all have trust funds."

Sasuke frowned "you never talk about your father" Sakura frowned "well let's get back to studying I want to pick out the disease were going to do our project on before you go home" Sasuke looked at her, she was avoiding the subject. "Sakura, you always talk about your mom but never your dad, why?" she looked at him over the rim of the book and he was surprised at how vulnerable her eyes looked "why do you want to know?" and he isn't sure "I'm curious."

She sighs and leans her head in her hands pinching the bridge of her nose she looks up "if I tell you, you can't tell Naruto" Sasuke frowned "I promise" Sakura had kind of hoped he wouldn't agree. "He's in prison."

Sasuke looked at her in shook "w-why" Sakura doesn't answer instead she sheds the red jacket she was wearing leaving her in a black tank top. Slowly she raised the fabric of her shirt to reveal her back to Sasuke.

Sasuke stifled a gasp, Sakura's back was marred with scars some spanning the length of a piece of paper and others were much bigger or much smaller "there's more on my stomach" came Sakura's voice, finally she lowered the black fabric and turned back to Sasuke her eyes lowered.

"Let's get back to work" she moved to pick up a blue highlighter, however Sasuke stopped her. "Sasuke let go of my wrist" he looked at her "no" his eyes softened "Sakura did your father do that to you?" she is quite for a moment and when she looked back up eyes were filled with tears.

"He wasn't always a bad man, I remember when I was a little girl he would come home turn on some music and dance with mom and me but" she trailed of "but" Sasuke pressed "but when I was seven he lost his job, and started drinking."

"My mom, she's a nurse she makes decent money however they depended on the their combined incomes and when there was only my mom working my dad became bitter, and he started to beat me and mom."

"It went on for a year before I had enough courage to call the police" she took a deep breath "I know sometimes you and Naruto resent me for having what you don't but sometimes I envy you guys."

"Sakura why didn't you tell me or Naruto about this we knew you back then why-" she paused him by placing a finger on his lips "because it was by burden to bear and you guys went through enough already."

Sasuke opened his mouth to deny the statement but she cut him off "you had just lost your whole family to the war and Naruto a year previous, was I really going to come to the two of you, when you two were already dealing with so much, you two had just gotten placed in foster homes and were getting settled back into life, and I didn't want to upset that."

Sasuke glared at her "Sakura damn you, you can't hide something like that it's not right" she just stares at him her wide green eyes wider than usual "and why not Sasuke-kun you have plenty of secrets yourself."

"Like what Sakura, like what" he was angry and he knew he was being unreasonable but damnit he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed something how the hell does he miss something like this, she was one of his best friends, the only girl he let near his heart.

And if he was being honest with himself, she was the only one who he was ever going to let near his heart.

"Like the fact that, you sneak out with Naruto on the anniversary of both your parents deaths" she raised an eyebrow "or the fact that any boy that has ever even thought about getting close to me, you have chased away, with threats."

"Or the fact that you and Naruto, called me a selfish spoiled brat behind my back" she took a deep breath panting "yeah that's right Sasuke I heard that and it hurt it hurt like hell, now do you want me to continue because I can bring up every little thing you have kept from me, and there's a lot."

Sasuke lowered his head "no" she sighed and sank back down "good now let's continue-" but she was cut off by Sasuke wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug "Sakura, if anyone ever hurts you come straight to me okay, No one's aloud to hurt you."

"Ever" he muttered into her hair, taking in the scent of strawberries, Sakura smiled "you don't need to protect me Sasuke, I'm a big girl" Sasuke smirked "I know, but didn't you used to say how you wanted a knight in shining armor to save you?"

Sakura pulled back and looked at him in exasperation "I was twelve and had my first crush" Sasuke smirked "and who was that crush on Sakura?" she blushed "no one you would know" Sasuke's smirk widened "really because I remember his name starting with Sauce and ending in Ke" Sakura blushed.

"Fine you got it you were my first crush happy" Sasuke smirk faded to a smile "ecstatic" Sakura raised an eyebrow "you're just going to embarrass me and think nothing of it?" Sasuke nodded "well you suck then Su-kun." Sasuke made a face "don't call be that" he whined Sakura only laughed "why is yittle Su-kun going to cwy?" Sasuke smirked "no" and before she could react he had her on her back and his hands were on her sides tickling up and down.

Sakura twisted and quaked with laughter "stop it Sasuke-kun" Sasuke smirked wider "why" Sakura laughed and squirmed beneath him "because I said so" he only ticked her harder "not good enough Sakura."

"Because I'll destroy everyone of your precious tomato's" Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he stopped tickling her "oh yes I would and you know that" reluctantly he rolled off of her and she stood, a mischievous smile on her face.

And then she was off running and skipping down the stairs, and he was chasing after her smiling and laughing all the while, he found her hiding behind the couch, and snuck up on her "Boo" she screeched and laughed and took off running again him hot on her trail.

Sasuke Uchiha was always the cold one, always there, always admired, always quiet. And for the most part people ignored him, didn't pay him a second thought well except for the fan-girls, he was just another boy growing up without parents because of the third world war.

Sakura Haruno was always seen with a smile, she was always seen in the background watching her boys shine, she was admired for her kindness and her mind, and people paid little attention to her, because she never did anything to make herself seen. She had a loving mother and the third war had barely touched her.

Sasuke Uchiha and Haruno Sakura, were ice and fire, a constant battle for dominance and one when finally one won years after that day, it was the fire, it was always there to ignite the embers in his heart of stone, and over years the fire melted the ice, slowly gently it was persistent.

And out of the steam came two flames joined as one burning brighter then the sun.

-_**End**_-

I struggled a lot with this one and only got through it because I went on a country music binge and devoured Tim Mcgraw Faith Hill and Martina McBride music like a starving dog, so this was only finished because I was listening to "this kiss" by Faith Hill.

Thank her not me. I would also like to thank these people for inspiring me!

**Reviews**

GoldenDoe06 - she was my first reviewer and she left such a cute review it made my day

yourstruly247 - my second reviewer and she was so sweet.

**Favorite story**

tsuchiya-sama

Mistressinwaiting

check them out their both really good writers

**Story Alert**

GoldenDoe06 - again thank you so much you have no idea how much this means to me

Timber Wolf of Purity - thank you so much

**Favorite Author**

staygolden4ever- thank you thank you thank you

Peace out and may the force be with you,

Abby


	5. Umbrella

"Sakura-chan you could always stay the night, it's supposed to storm" Sakura smiled at her blonde best friend and his fiancée "oh come on Naruto we both know you and Hinata would keep me up" both blushed, and Sakura cackled. Oh how she loved to embarrass those two.

"No, Naruto I'll be fine, it's not that far to the bus stop and after the bus it's not even two blocks to my apartment" Naruto frowned "I still don't like it" she smiled "stop being so protective big bro" both laughed it had been an on running joke that Naruto was like an over-protective brother to his pink haired best friend.

She smiled and gave a hug to Naruto and Hinata before stepping out their front door smiling; it was a month till their wedding and Sakura couldn't be happier for the two, they had loved each other for so long that it was no surprise to Sakura that they were taking the next plunge into marriage.

Still she mused as she walked out into the streets, she couldn't help but be a little jealous of the two, they had always known what they wanted, and that was each other. Sakura had never been as lucky as them, she had a few relationships but they rarely went anywhere, and when they did they always went south pretty fast.

she looked up at the sky, it was defiantly going to rain, she didn't mind though, she loved the summer showers, with their warm waters, she loved the rain, they way it hit her skin, lighting every nerve fiber on fire.

People always hated the rain. They cursed when they felt the first drops hit their skin, running straight for shelter; it had never been like that for Sakura, even as a child it had fascinated her, she could never understand why people said rain was a bad omen, Sakura thought it was refreshing, and it singled a new start.

But then again her views her a little biased.

She had had her first kiss under the cover of rain; she had her first everything, under the cover of the rain's stinging drops. Hell, she was even born under the cover of a March shower, and her parents used to tell her she was destined to love water.

Sakura liked to believe that.

She smiled when the drops started to hit her head wetting her shoulder length pink locks and matting them to her head, she tightened her jacket and continued to walk through the streets, she hissed when a car went by and showered her with muddy water.

She resisted the urge to flip the already gone car off and instead shifted her gaze to the sky; she was worried the storm was getting worse, in the five minutes since it had started it had gotten so that she could only see about a foot in front of her.

She may love the rain, but the idea of being stuck under a torrential downpour was less then appealing.

She was instantly relieved to see the sign for the bus stop. She set her pace to a light jog until she came upon the glass dome that surrounded the small area. She smiled in relief and sat down on the glass seat glancing at the schedule she found the next bus would be here in an hour.

She sighed, really, was the world trying to prove her love of water to be a completely idiotic move. First she almost drowns at the beach last week and ends up being revived by a black haired onyx haired life guard, and now being trapped in a storm.

She sighed and leaned her head into her hands, well she had nothing better to do, might's as well cross examine that experience.

All she had wanted was to go for a short swim, she was a pretty good swimmer so she hadn't thought anything of the fact that the tide's pull was a little strong (a dumb move now that she thought about it) and had gotten caught in its pull, the next few minutes are a blur she remembers lots of water and then dark.

The next thing she knows she's surrounded by a bunch of people who are gossiping and a black haired man was leaning over her smirking, in a way that made her very aware of the blue and white striped bikini she was wearing.

He had smirked and told her that she had to be more careful (because she couldn't have figured that out herself) and that she was annoying, clearly the surrounding females didn't take offence to that (they were still cooing over how he was so strong and manly) but she did damn it. She smacked him.

Yeah not her finest moment. And maybe she was a little hasty but hey, he didn't really need to call her annoying did he? She sighed and shook her head. She really needed to get his eyes out of her head; it was doing her no good, specifically because she wasn't ever going to see him again.

"Hn you look different when you're not half drowned." Or not.

She turned to the left of her and saw the man from the beach, although he looked quite different dressed in jeans and a black button up shirt, his hair and eyes were unmistakable. Figures, well might as well talk.

"Hello?" he smirked "hello to you too" she shifted her hair to the opposite side of her neck "excuse me but your name is?" he continued to smirk "Sasuke, Uchiha, Sasuke" Sakura raised her eyebrows; he'd said his last name like it was supposed to mean something.

"Haruno, Sakura, it's nice to meet you when I'm not half drowned" he shifted himself closer to her "yes, and it's nice to meet you when you're not slapping me" she blushed "you shouldn't have called me annoying?"

He looked surprised "do you slap everyone you calls you annoying?" this guy was defiantly arrogant "no only you" he laughed "is that a compliment?" she chuckled "depends on your point of view" they were silent for a moment.

"So were you going" he looked up surprised "uh home you?" she fingered her hair before flipping it and pulling it into a tight dripping ponytail, when she was finished she spoke "I'm heading home too, were do you live?"

He looked at her weakly "you not going to follow me are you?" she laughed doubling over; when she got a hold of herself she spoke "No do people actually do that to you?" he smiled "actually yes" that caused her to laugh again.

"What about that do you find so funny?" she looked at him "well of course the fact that some girls are that desperate, I'm assuming it's only girls that follow you?" he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes "I'm not sure if I should be insulted by that or not?"

She looked up at him "again depends on your point of view" he fingered a strand of pink hair that was loose from her ponytail causing her to blush "is your hair natural?" she looked at him "why is that one of the first questions everyone asks me?" she laughed lightly "yes it's natural, I'm a weird genetic combination my mom has red hair, and my dad has blonde almost white hair."

"So I got pink hair, and green eyes deal with it" he smirked "do you tell that to every guy who asks you about your hair?" she smiled "yes, yes I do" he laughed "so tell me Sakura, are you dating anyone?"

She looked at him "no, why are you asking?" he smirked widely "because we have a date Saturday."

That. Little. Prick. Sakura stood "sorry I don't go on dates that I don't agree to" she then tightened her jacket and started to walk away. Honestly how can anyone be that arrogant to think they can just do that?

To think you don't have to ask a girl out, and can just force them to date you? That may work with other girls, but she had self respect and wouldn't just do something because he was good looking and had a dick, honestly!

She shivered and tightened her soaked jacket, she was about a good twenty minutes from her apartment, and with the way this rain was coming down she would be soaked down past her bones. She considered turning back but then she would have to see that arrogant bastard. So she kept walking.

The cold she was sure to catch be damned. She had more pride then that.

She sighed and continued to walk, screw him, and screw any stupid proud male who couldn't ask her out properly.

She tightened her sopping wet ponytail and pulled out her cell phone, hoping to god that the rain hadn't ruined it, she looked at the display screen a picture of Naruto Hinata and herself at some party, with hats and whiskers painted on their faces.

The time read 8:59. Great. Just great.

It was far too late to call Naruto, him and Hinata would already be in bed, and either sleeping or doing other activities that she didn't want to interrupt.

She smiled slightly at the picture and slipped the phone back into her pocket before continuing to march on. She was shocked out of her thoughts by the sound of hurried feet. She looked back trying to see who it was only to see Sasuke. Yup she hated the rain now it's official.

"What do you want?" he jogged to catch up to her "here take this" he said handing her an umbrella "Keep it" she made a move to continue to walk but he grabbed her left arm to stop her from leaving "let..go..of..me" she ground out through her teeth. "Hn no, now take the umbrella" she snorted "what now you know the meaning of chivalry" he frowned "I'm sorry" she laughed "do you even know what you're apologizing for?" he was quite and she tried to free her arm "I thought so."

"I'm sorry for assuming you were going to date me" she clapped her hands together or the best she could with him still having a death grip on her arm "correct, now let me go" he sighed "no now would you just stop being so stubborn.

She pierced her lips "hmm no" he shot her a look "please Sakura just take the umbrella" she sighed and took it from his hand "thank you" he nodded and stared at her "you soaking wet" she laughed "yes I am your point?"

He pierced his lips "were do you live?"

"Montgomery street why?"

He looked at her like she'd grown two heads "that's about thirty blocks away" she shook her head "that's too far away in this rain" she shrugged "so what, I love the rain, it's comforting" well not today she mused but usually it is.

"Look at least let me walk you home" she sighed "why" he smirked "because if you're so sure you're going to walk all that way I might as well walk you there to make sure nothing happens to you" she shook her head and rolled her eyes, but nodded none the less.

"hn why'd you leave" she looked at him "because some girls like to be asked out, not told there going out, call me old fashioned but that's just me" he smiled "your different then other girls" she felt a scorching reply on her tongue but didn't say it instead she gave him a chance to redeem himself "explain."

He smirked "you're not falling all over me, and acting like an idiot, you have spunk, and your original, and I like it" she smiled "now that's a compliment, thank you" he laughed "most girls would take that as an insult."

She smirked "I'm not just anybody, and don't ever forget it" she said a cheesy grin lighting up her face, as she sprinted ahead and spun around ponytail slapping her face, he shook his head and sped up to keep her under the umbrella.

I won't" he muttered and she smiled. Soon they reached her apartment building and he walked her up the stairs as she pulled the key from around her neck and unlocked the door stepping inside she turned to Sasuke "thank you for walking me home, Sasuke."

He smirked "you're welcome, Sakura" she went to close the door but she realized she forgot something, sticking her head out the door she looked at his retreating back "hey Sasuke" he looked back at her "see you Saturday."

He smiled "see you Saturday at eight."

-End-

A/N** I'm pissed**. Recently I came under fire of some terrible flamers. Now if they were just insulting me, the story, plot line, or even the pairing I was using I would feel better but **NO**. They insulted me **because** I was proud of being raised **country**!

They told me in no uncertain terms that I** couldn't write** because I was raised country, and that if I was raised that way then I'm either **white trash**, or a **hick** and that the only real writers are in the **big cities**! Damn it that just made me mad! I am proud of being raised country of going horseback riding and picking berries right off of the vine behind my house of late nights spent under the stars and making my own apple cider.

My neighbors are cow's horses and chicken's and I live about a mile out of town. But does that mean I **can't** write? I know that I shouldn't let that get to me but it **does**. Anyway I would vent on my DeviantArt journal but that's where it happened so I'm using this space instead.

Anyway this was day five's prompt "umbrella" I start school Wednesday (9th grade = hazing = no fun for me) but I hope to update twice a week once on Monday and once on Friday. Hopefully!

Anyway that's all I have to say R&R please.

Peace out, and may the force be with you,

Abby


	6. Hello, Goodbye

**The first time hurt like hell…**

Sakura stood in front of her blue house, if it was any other day she would be running across the grass, tumbling and rolling, squealing and giggling. She would be poking at a bug, or flying a kite, she would be spending her summer having fun, before she had to return to school to start the first grade in the fall.

But it wasn't any other day. It was the day she had been dreading since the black haired boy had come to stay in the house next door to her. And although he was eight and she was six, and despite that in a child's eyes, that is light years apart.

He was her best friend.

Her only friend. But summer was nearly at a close and the boy had to leave. She watched as the last red and white suitcase was loaded into the waiting car. Sakura waited for Sasuke to make it half way down the walk before launching herself at him.

Sasuke stumbled backwards, as the blob of pink and red attached herself to him, sobbing loudly. "Hey, stop crying" he ordered only making Sakura sob louder, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist "please don't go Sasuke-kun, please" she begged.

"Sakura it'll be fine" she sobbed "but it won't be, you're my best friend my only friend here, and I'll miss you, so please don't go" Sasuke wrapped his arms around her waist nestling his head in her pink hair "I have to go Saki, I have to go back home."

She backed away from him shaking her head furiously "no, no you don't" he stepped towards her "yes, I do Sakura and you know that" she only shook her head harder "no you don't, you're just going to leave me alone again, I don't want to be alone again."

Sasuke closed the last step between him, and wrapped his arms around her "I'll be back Sakura, I promise okay, I'll be back next summer before you know it" Sakura looked up at him "how can you be so sure, how can you know."

He smirked, an action that looked strange with his dimpled cheeks "because you're Sakura, and I'm Sasuke and your six, and I'm eight." He looked down at her "and I just know so, everything will be okay" Sakura wiped her red cheeks and stepped back.

And it wasn't much, but when your six the simplest of reassurances are often the best.

"I guess this is goodbye" he nodded before turning and starting to walk up to the waiting car "WAIT SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura ran down the walk and kissed him on the cheek, before turning and sprinting up to her own home and slamming the door.

Sasuke stood there a moment his cheeks flaming red, before turning and getting into the car, and trying to ignore Itachi's teasing. Because Sakura was NOT his girlfriend.

**The seventh time didn't feel any better….**

Sakura stood in front of the same house and watched as the same suitcases were loaded up again. It was a scene that she was coming to see as the end of summer, and of fun.

She wasn't six anymore and she understood more now. But that didn't mean she wouldn't miss him, and didn't wish he could stay. Sakura walked down the walk.

She only stopped when she was in front of Sasuke. She looked at him, at fourteen, he was a foot taller than her, but he was still the same Sasuke who ran through mud puddles with her. Well to her at least, her friends didn't seem to think so.

She smiled slightly "so I guess this is another goodbye Sasuke-kun huh?" he nodded "hn" she frowned. She had hoped that he would respond more. But no it had been "hn" and "ah" all summer and it was beginning to piss her off.

"You'll write right?" he nodded "hn" Sakura threw her hands up in the air "can't you talk to me Sasuke-kun" he regarded her with a blank look "I am" she shook her head fast "no, no you're not, you're talking in Sasuke language, sorry I can't understand it."

He smirked "you're annoying" she bit back a sharp reply and instead settled for a rough push to his chest "no Sasuke I'm not, you've just changed, and it's not for the better" she looked him up and down "look at you Sasuke-kun, you're not the boy I used to know."

She bit her lip "I miss you" Sasuke pushed her backwards "who do you think you are?" she stumbled, before stomping back up to him "I think I'm the girl who knows you inside and out, who could tell you every little detail of every one of your embarrassing moments."

"I think I'm your best friend, but apparently that has a different meaning to you" he glared at her "really because a friend would be more understanding, would give me more space and time." Sakura laughed "I can't believe you really just said that Sasuke, I give you all the space I can but you just take it for granted."

"Guess what Sasuke-kun, I'm not ready to give you up, not ready to give up on you" she stared at him "but if you push anymore, if you shut me out anymore I'm through."

Sasuke is silent before he looks up at her "what do you want me to say Sakura, that I like the fact that my brother's sick, that I like the fact that the only reason I see you is because we have to come down here to see specialists, because I don't, I hate it, and yeah I'm starting to hate you to."

Sakura backed away from him "Sasuke-kun, I'm not letting you play that card, I'm sorry about Itachi, really I am but that's not an excuse for shutting people out. I can't understand the way you're feeling, your right about that, but the way you're coping is wrong."

She turned away from him, and walked up the walk to her house leaving him standing there in the dust. She didn't see the way his face looked as he jumped into the car, nor the looks on his families faces because someone had finally got through to him. But then again she wouldn't have been able to see anyway, the tears blinded her.

**The ninth time nearly broke her….**

Sakura sighed and shifted her weight to the other foot. She looked up at the sixteen year old in front of her.

"Goodbye Sakura" she only nodded. What could she say he had just kissed her. Not on the forehead like she was used to, or the cheek like she had all those years ago. No he had kissed her squarely on the lips. And damn it all to hell, she had liked it.

But she also had a boyfriend.

He looked at her like he was expecting her to jump into his arms. "I can't Sasuke-kun I can't, I'm sorry" he glared at her "I just kissed you, and you sure as hell acted like you liked it, so why can't you" she bit her lip "huh why can't you Sakura?"

"Because I have a boyfriend" she yelled, Sasuke glared at her "you think I don't know that Sakura, all summer it's been _'sorry Sasuke-kun I can't, I have a date with Kiba-kun'_ and damn it all Sakura that pissed me off."

"The summer was always our time, and you wasting it on dates with a boy who probably doesn't even love you" she shook her head "Kiba-kun loves me" Sasuke glare only intensified "really then why did I see him kissing that Ayame girl yesterday?" Sakura backed up "you're lying, Kiba-kun wouldn't do that to me" Sasuke looked shocked "are you calling me a liar Sakura?" Sakura didn't know where the courage came from but she nodded. "Yes you lying to me about Kiba-kun."

"Well then you clearly don't know me all that well, then do you Sa-Ku-Ra" he insinuated the syllables to an almost mocking level "because if you knew me then you would know I would never in my wildest dreams lie to you."

Sakura backed away from him, because if Kiba-kun had been kissing someone else that meant she had wasted all that time on him. Had wasted her first kiss on him. It wasn't right. "Why would he do that?" her voice broke.

Sasuke closed the space between them in one solid swoop and wrapped his arms around her tight, and smoothed her unruly pink locks down "shh Sakura don't cry" and Sakura didn't realize she was crying until he pointed it out.

When she finally felt she had enough control she stepped back and looked up at him "I'll text you later tonight okay Sasuke-kun?" he smiled and nodded "yeah I'll be waiting" there was a brief silence between them.

"Sasuke-kun, I still don't believe what you told me about Kiba-kun, but I'll talk to him and if he's been cheating on me, rest assured I'll kick his ass" Sasuke smirked and placed a hand on her cheek "I wouldn't expect any less from you, Saki." He smiled "goodbye Sakura" he stepped away from her and turned before jumping into the backseat of the waiting car.

"Goodbye, Sasuke-kun" she whispered to the dust trail that was forming from the wheels of the long gone car. She sighed and wiped her eyes before pulling out her cell phone and dialing Kiba's number. He was speed dial number two, right under Sasuke-kun's number.

She heard the crackling sound of the phone being picked up before a weak throaty voice answered the phone. "Hello Sakura" she frowned Kiba sounded sick "hey are you okay" there was a brief pause "yes, I'm fine why?"

"Kiba-kun are you sick?" there was a long pause that nearly had Sakura biting her nails until finally Kiba came back onto the phone "yes" her frown deepened "with what" there was a cough "I have mono Sakura."

Sakura nearly dropped the phone. "You…have…what?" she growled, she head Kiba gulp and if she was in her right mind she would have smirked. "Mono, Sakura mono." "You didn't get it from me, Kiba so who else were you kissing?" Kiba coughed again "I'm really sorry Sakura, so sorry Ayame gave it to me."

Sasuke had been right. She should have trusted his word. It looked like she had an apology to give to him. "Kiba, I really like you, truly I do, but I will not date someone whose been cheating on me, I have far too much self pride for that, I'm sorry I'm breaking up with you."

"WHAT" Kiba screeched and Sakura winced at the sound. "I'm breaking up with you" Sakura could hear springs creaking before Kiba came back on the phone "Sakura I'm coming over to see you" Sakura shook her head "no you're not Kiba your staying in bed, you can't change my mind."

With that said she snapped the phone shut ending the call, before turning and running up the front walk, into the hallway, past her shocked mother, and up the stairs. She didn't stop until she was on her bed her door locked.

When she was sure no one could get in, she broke down and cried. Hours later she finally picked up her phone and set her fingers to the keypad.

_To: Uchiha Sasuke-kun_

_From: Cherrylicious Sakura_

_You were right about Kiba. He caught Mono from Ayame. I'm sorry Sasuke-kun for calling you a liar. Forgive me?_

Minute later her phone flashed and she was wasn't surprised to see Sasuke's name on the display screen along with the alert for an incoming text message, tears still falling from her eyes she looked at the message.

_To: Cherrylicious Sakura_

_From: Uchiha Sasuke-kun_

_I'm sorry Saki-chan. Of course your forgiven Saki I could never stay mad at you. I know you didn't mean it; you're just hot-headed sometimes. Do you want me to have dad turn around, so we can stay an extra night?_

Sakura thought about it for a long while before she sighed. Of course she wanted Sasuke-kun here however she knew he couldn't be. She wasn't six anymore, she knew Sasuke had a home to get back to, friends to get back to, and he couldn't spend the rest of his time making her feel better.

So that was why, even though she didn't want to she had to type her reply.

_To: Uchiha Sasuke-kun_

_From: Cherrylicious Sakura_

_No, I understand you have a life to get back to. I'll be fine. _

Sakura sighed before sending the message. She set her phone down on the bedside table, standing she somehow found a blue tank top and matching pants through her tears, changing she pulled her pair back into a ponytail the best she could. Before collapsing on her bed sobbing.

Sakura didn't know when she fell asleep but she knew she must have because the next thing she knew was darkness and a small tapping noise. Sitting up in bed she looked at the small digital clock and saw the time before groaning, she didn't want to be awake at least in sleep she could escape.

She sighed and looked around hoping to find the source, so she could eliminate it and go back to sleep were she was blissfully unaware. Finally she heard it again and looked around frowning when she figured that it was coming from her window.

Standing she made her way over to it, and looked out.

**But the one hello made all the goodbyes worth it….**

Sakura saw Sasuke standing on the tree branch next to her window throwing stone at it. "What are you doing Sakura let me in" Sakura jumped back startled before lifting the window pane and removing the screen so Sasuke could get into her bedroom.

Sakura wiped her eyes and sat down on the bed, wiping the dried tear tracks from her cheeks "Sasuke-kun what are you doing here, you should already be in Tokyo and be getting settled back in." Sasuke sat down next to her and turned so he was facing her.

"I made dad turn around so we could stay an extra night or two, told him that you needed me" Sakura smiled "Sasuke-kun you shouldn't have done that, I wanted you to go home, not to stay here and spend your time with a crying teenage girl."

Sasuke chuckled, "now where would I rather be?" Sakura smiled and launched herself at him. Crying. Sasuke toppled backwards with her in his arms and settled her into his chest lying down with her in his arms.

"Shh Sakura, don't cry, don't cry baby girl" he murmured into her hair. Finally Sakura looked up at him "don't you get it Sasuke-kun, I'm crying because I'm happy that you care enough about me to come back, when you could already be home."

Sasuke smiled gently down at her "Saki-chan I'll always come back for you, you're my most precious person" and Sakura smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You're my most precious person too Sasuke-kun" Sasuke sighed gently brushing the escaping strands of hair out of her face.

They stayed like that, for the rest of the night, wrapped tightly up in each other, in their own world. Actions spoke louder than words for them.

And when Sasuke left four days later he knew what he wanted, who he wanted for the rest of his life.

It was Sakura it had always been Sakura, from the day he saw a pink haired girl chasing a butterfly in her front yard, green eyes wide and sparkling, a smile with two missing front teeth, spread across her face.

And oh god, he hoped and prayed it would be Sakura he woke up to for the rest of his life.

Because it only took one hello, to outweigh every goodbye, and it only took one hello to make everything worthwhile.

**End**

**A/N **so yes this is day six. Remember when i said i would like to update every Friday and every Monday? Well i'm not sure i can manage that. 9th grade is hard and i am drowning in homework! But i will try to update once every week although i can't say which day.

I love all you guys who stick with me and review on every single chapter you make my day! I have to go finish Algebra and Bio homework now, but i hope this was worth the extra wait i tried to find all my mistakes and correct them before i updated but if you find any while reading please point them out! Also if there is anything you saw that i could improve upon feel free to point that out as well because i always want to do better then the last time!

I also want to thank you all who made me feel better after i was attacked by that nasty flamer (who has not been seen since thank god) it made me feel worlds better, so thank you!

Peace out and may the force be with you,

Abby**  
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	7. Fix You

She was broken goods he had always known that. Everyone knew that.

She was always alone, always wearing the same old tattered dress, pink locks long and wild, she never spoke to anyone, choosing to blend into the background, people didn't speak to her and some didn't even know her name. Which was rare in a town as small as Kohana.

Many didn't remember the care free girl she once was. But he always had. Always remembered the way emerald eyes sparkled.

Sasuke sighed, as he watched her gather her books into her arms and dumping them into her tattered blue backpack, before shutting the locker door. He noticed the way she smiled when she saw the halls were all emptied.

He'd been doing this for the last week tailing the girl he used to know, the one he wished he still knew. Her name was Sakura Haruno, she was fifteen and that was all most knew about her, because they didn't see what he saw, didn't see the diamond beneath the layers of dirt.

She slung the bag over her shoulders before making her way from the school and Sasuke followed on careful feet, he knew from the first day that she had acute hearing and the slightest sound would startle her enough to have her running in an instant.

He sighed as she turned down a back alley. She probably had been taking this short cut for years, but that didn't make the thought any more comforting. It was obvious math really. Pretty young woman plus dark alley, equals a very bad thing.

He was worried though when he saw her take an unexpected turn, she was a creature of habit he could tell that much, she went through the days looking so distant, doing things in a very mechanical way, and the only time she really perked up was when she was in science and math class.

He had heard her tell a teacher once it was because she wanted to be a doctor.

Sakura turned out of the alleys and out into the main street, and Sasuke was slightly disturbed to see the tall white structure that was the hospital looming in front of them. He quickly looked her over for any injuries and was happy to find none that he could see.

Sakura turned into the front entrance and Sasuke waited a minute before following her.

He received a few strange glances from the receptionist but they didn't move to stop him and he was glad for that. He followed her up about two flights of stairs, and into a brightly lit white hallway. He wrinkled his nose up at the smell of disinfectant.

It smelt far too clean and unnatural and Sasuke was reminded of why he hated hospitals so much. Sakura turned into a room before shutting the door tightly behind her. Sasuke frowned and made his way over to the door glancing threw the small glass pane so he could see what she was doing.

What he saw almost stopped his heart.

Sakura was kneeled by a bed were a man with bright red hair was lying motionless. He knew from their distant shared past that it was Sakura's father. Glancing around the room he saw there were various machines, and even more tubes coming out from the man lying on the bed.

Sasuke saw Sakura rise from her knees and moved a chair over to the side of the bed before she started to talk. Sasuke opened the door a crack so he could hear.

"Hey daddy, it's been about a week since I came last, and I'm so sorry I've been really busy with school, but I finally could get down here to see you." She paused and Sasuke cracked the door open a little more and he froze when it squeaked.

Sakura looked around widely before her eyes settled on the door; she watched it for a moment before settling back down and turning back to her father "I've been so jumpy lately daddy I just can't understand it."

She laughed lowly "you know Monday I was so sure that somebody was following me, I started running and didn't stop until I was up in my bedroom with the all the doors and windows locked up tight, you know I saw the strangest thing, for a moment I was sure I saw the Uchiha fan. You know the one Sasuke used to wear."

Well crap, he had to be more careful. He didn't want her to think he was stalking her, because he was NOT stalking her.

"Anyway I know that if you were awake you would be asking how Mom was, so I guess I might as well just tell you." She took a deep breath and Sasuke realized what the comatose man couldn't. Sakura was on the verge of tears but she wouldn't let herself cry. He almost admired her for that strength.

"Mom she isn't dealing well with this, she's ah trying though she really is" Sakura paused "we all are, Naruto came home from collage for a while to help out, but honestly I think he's drawing more attention to what's missing."

Sakura sighed "the doctors are saying that the chances you're going to make it out of this are slim to none and we should stop wasting our money, so I really don't know why I'm still doing this talking to you I mean, I guess some bonds are hard to sever aren't they Daddy, I'll always be your little girl."

Sasuke shifted, he felt like he was intruding on this moment he doubted Sakura would want him here watching her break down but he couldn't leave either. He knew deep down that he was meant to see this. That maybe he could be the one to fix her.

"Money's still tight but we are making it; I've been saving up for a new dress, a new shirt and a pair of jeans, and I almost have enough, it'll be nice to wear something different to school." She shook her head "Daddy I miss you so much so just get better soon okay?"

"I got to go, I have homework bye Daddy" Sakura stood and Sasuke realized with a panic that she was going to come out and see him. But when she stepped out the door and sunk down the wall he realized he was the last thing that was crossing her mind.

She looked exhausted emotionally and physically and it worried him.

"Sasuke what are you doing her" said Sakura looking up at him with tired eyes. He didn't answer. Sakura sighed "you're the one that's been following me aren't you?" she just shook her head softly "it's alright I'm not mad I'm just curious as to why you have been following me, I'm not that special."

Sasuke stared at her pink head. He had no clue what to say. And even if he did her green eyes had him tongue tyed. "I'm not that special really, my hair is about the only thing that sets me apart from other girls and your you Sasuke, the star football player, and you have all the girls any guy could ask for. So why are you so interested in me?"

"I know what they say about me Sasuke, and it used to hurt but I'm past that" he blinked before kneeling down in front of her "I'm going to be out of here in a year I've already been accepted into the best medical school in the state."

She smiled slightly "but I'm still not that special so the question stands why are you following me?" Sasuke smiled "ah but that's where your wrong Sakura, because you are special" he placed a hand to her cheek. "I love your hair how it's so untamed and so curly" he picked up one long curl and twisted it between his fingers.

"I love the way you light up when something interests you" he smiled slightly "I love your eyes because contrary to popular belief crayola doesn't make a green for everything, trust me when we were little I spent hours looking." He brushed his finger down her jaw line before dropping his hand "you are special Sakura, it just takes someone just as special to see it."

She laughed lowly "Sasuke I don't know how you did it, but you just managed to compliment yourself and me in the same sentence" she shook her head and he was struck by how lost she looked "I was following you because I want to know you again Sakura."

She looked at him in shock before shaking her head "I don't know what to tell you Sasuke, I can't offer you anything, I've already given all I can and it's been taken away" He slid down next to her and placed an arm around her shoulders.

"You don't have to give me anything Sakura, this is enough this has always been enough." And it was true even when they'd been young he'd loved to sit in silence with her. Loved it when she was so content. Loved the way she would lay her head on his shoulders.

He missed that. What he would give to be eight again when things weren't so complicated.

She sighed and hummed lightly "Sasuke what do you want from me."

He looked at her.

Her porcelain skin was dotted with freckles that were faded and many would miss them. Her head was thrown back letting him see the clean line of her jaw. There was a light smile curved on her light pink lips, and he knew the color was natural not artificial like many other girls in their class.

Her eyes were closed hiding her stunning eyes and revealing long dark black lashes. Her eyebrows curved gently. Her pink hair fell to her mid back and was sprayed up against the wall, and he could tell that although many people speculated she had dyed her hair and had a perm, it was all natural.

Her red dress although not in the best condition was so clean he could smell the lavender soap she used to wash her cloths clearly. Her breasts weren't as large as some of the other girls but they seemed the right size for her body. Her hips flared out nicely revealing her small but not to small waist.

Her legs were smooth and beautiful.

She was beautiful and perfect right down to her black boots.

And he was struck by the future they could have. Naruto would be his best man. Hinata, Naruto's fiancée would be Sakura's maid of honor. And Sakura would wear a beautiful white dress and she would walk down the aisle to him. And she would be smiling and crying happy tears. While he did the same.

Their honeymoon would be to a small island and they would go on long walks and it would be bliss. She would be a doctor and he would be a police officer. They would have four kids. A little girl that was a replica of her mom. Another girl that had her dad's hair and her mom's eyes.

They would have two boys as well. They would look like him except for their eyes that would have her green.

They would grow old together. They would watch their children grow up and get married and have kids of their own. And they would be happy and blissful and so full of life until their last days.

He was Sasuke and she was Sakura and Sasuke was sure they were meant for each other. But the future he could see for them would never come to pass if he didn't speak to her.

But he couldn't tell her all that either so he thought about it and he thought about it some more and she stared at him with a soft look because this was such a wonderful and peaceful moment, she didn't understand what he wanted, but she knew that she was happy when he was with her.

He snapped alert, before gently kissing her forehead - the one that people said was too big but he thought was beautiful just like the rest of her- And kissed her cheeks and her neck before gently brushing her lips with his.

He pulled back and stared at her happy green eyes and her sweet slight smile. And he bent down to her ear and whispered six words that had her arms wrapped around him tight. Because she knew she was broken but he accepted that.

"I want to fix you Sakura."

And inside a room on the other side of the wall a hand twitched

-End-

**A/N** OMG this is the end of the first week and this is one of my favorite themes because i am absolutely in love with the song Fix You by Coldplay. It's just an amazing song. I thought of having Sakura fix Sasuke. But honestly that's done so many times that i wanted to do something different. Also i realized I have to write in Sasuke's point of veiw more because most of the past six chapters have been written in Sakura's. Honestly i have actually noticed recently that it's so easy for me to slip into Sakura's point of view but i struggle with writing Sasuke's.

I think it's because i relate to her more just because i have been were she's been (no i haven't had to try to kill my boyfriend) I want to be a doctor, and she's just one of those characters you can see yourself in. Sasuke on the other hand is one of the characters you want to be, but the proportions of his character are so out their that it's hard to see yourself as him. Anyway are any of you also in love with **Itachi Uchiha** because i am! He's just so i don't know i just love him!

Thank you to all who alerted favorited and reviewed. Itt makes my day i love you all!

Peace out and may the force be with you,

Abby


	8. Satisfaction

Sasuke sighed. He was tired and sweaty and damn it Madara would not shut the fuck up. He knew the old man was crazy Sasuke wasn't stupid. But honestly did he have to prove it daily, hourly, minutely, and every single second of every damned day.

Currently he was telling Sasuke about what he needed to do to catch the kyuubi, the only problem being that the old geezer was over complicating it all. Honestly all he had to do was let Naruto know he was in the area and the damn Dobe would come running like a dog.

It was truly pathetic.

"Sasuke-kun are you even listening?" Sasuke glanced at the man from the corner of his eye. "Hn, no" Madara chuckled "Sasuke-kun, when will you learn that your cockiness will get you nowhere" Sasuke snorted "I'm doing just fine."

The older man just shook his head before leading Sasuke off of the main path and into a densely forested area, before stopping in a small thicket "we'll rest here, I have some business to attend to, I'll be returning in three hours time be ready to leave."

Sasuke merely nodded and sat his pack down on the ground before unbuttoning the first three buttons of his red black and white cloak. He then quickly climbed a tree and perched himself up against the strong trunk, Katana in easy reach.

He sighed and looked around it was spring and the area was dotted by small withered cherry blossoms tree's exploding into pinks and whites. It was peaceful and beautiful. It was wonderful and perfect. And Sasuke Uchiha hated it for many, many reasons.

He sighed and that's when he felt the small tremor shaking the earth. Curiously he waited and then when he heard an explosion, he decided that it was time to investigate. Slowly and silently he jumped down to the ground, with the grace of a cat, and the teeth and claws of one as well.

He silently crept through the forest his feet barely making a sound against the soft maltch on the ground. The tremors were coming more frequently now and he could tell he was reaching the epicenter. Finally he jumped into the nearest tree masking his chakra he stared down at the center of a bright green field.

A field that was dotted with injured and dead shinobi. A field where a single female was surrounded by forty or so shinobi. A field were the ground was split in two in places. A field were a pink haired shinobi wearing the alliance forehead protector was fighting and winning a very challenging battle.

He would even be struggling with this many shinobi.

Apparently little Sakura Haruno was not weak if she could do all this, and apparently she had much more to offer then he had seen before. He watched her with a strange and dangerous mix of wonder and humor.

Sakura sent a shinobi flying backwards into a tree and sent said tree flying back into about three or four more, sending them crashing to the ground. He figured that accounted for some of the tremors he had felt. Sakura moved with a grace he had never seen before, one that he was sure didn't come easy, he was sure she had to work for that grace.

Where was the girl who couldn't kill him?

Because the one in front of him was graceful to a point that had him almost envious she handled her opponents with a clear mind and one that was not clouded by emotion. A shinobi was sneaking up behind her as she fought of another two.

And he was angry with the wide majority of his being that was begging him to intervene.

But apparently he wouldn't need to.

Sakura stomped her foot creating a clean crack in the ground that had the shinobi falling into the ground, and at the last minute she spun around and in a move similar to one he had only seen a Hyuuga do disabling his chakra points. Sending the shinobi crashing to the ground in dizziness. But not before the enemy Nin could cut a large wound all the way down her right side.

He was shocked by the sudden anger that rushed to his mind clouding it with the intent of murder.

He watched from his perch as Sakura did a set of hand signs and another Sakura emerged with a puff of smoke. A shadow clone. The shadow clone defended Sakura in the front and Sakura did another set of hand signs before an earth wall rose to protect her on the other three sides.

Sasuke watched as she raised her left hand and placed it onto her bleeding side. He saw the green chakra emerge from her hands and watched as her skin slowly knitted itself back together. So she was a medical ninja, somehow the thought didn't shock him, and he was surprised he didn't realize it before.

After all she wore the balky medical pack around her waist one side sliding down to rest on her right hip.

Sakura sent the shadow clone away in a puff of smoke before letting the earth wall fall again to the ground again in a mound of wet earth. Wait wet. He could understand her having a affinity to earth. But water?

He didn't have time to ponder that however as the fast paced battle continued. Sakura was up against about thirty shinobi now. He wondered if she was good enough to beat them. But to his surprise she took them down with little to no problems.

She couldn't be this good could she? At this rate she might even be a challenge to him in a fight. The very notion would have been hilarious if he hadn't seen this fight, would have been hilarious if it was a few months ago, hell a few weeks ago. But now he wasn't so sure.

The very thought worried him. What happens when the weakest link becomes equal? Do the links complement each other or do they clash until they are bashed and bruised and oh so broken. Sasuke leaned towards the latter.

Sakura was down to two opponents now the rest being either dead or too injured to stand. The two charged at her at once and Sakura smoothly side stepped them so that the two Katana's they were each aiming at her, plunged into each other taking them down without Sakura doing a single thing.

He expected her to move on now. Expected her to fall to the ground or let out a shout of victory. What he didn't expect was her to turn to face him with a stony face and a death glare. "Come the fuck out" Sasuke was about to jump down when he realized that she wasn't talking to him.

She was talking to the dark haired man in the Akatsuki cloak who was clapping his hands. Madara. What the hell did Sakura have to do with his _'business?'_

"Bravo Sakura you managed to take out the men I sent after you" Madara smirked cruelly and Sasuke was shocked by how much the sight disgusted and angered him. Sakura laughed "so it's you that sent them, I should have known that you're a coward, so what is it this time."

Sakura stared at Madara the glare still intact and Madara's chakra flared in anger. "Well I'm waiting are you going to kidnap me again, torture me to try to get info on my brother, because it didn't work last time and it won't work this time, I'm not a traitor."

Madara laughed "last time I checked you and the Kyuubi brat weren't related" Sakura glared "his name is Naruto, and you don't need blood relations to share an unbreakable bond with someone, don't need blood to want to protect them with your life, that's something my two boys taught me."

Madara smirked "really Saki-chan because the last time I checked you had three males on your gennin team, don't you count Sasuke?"

Madara knew he was here. And he was baiting him. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction for falling for it. Still no matter much he told himself he didn't care, he was interested in her answer. Sakura shook her head. "Sasuke broke the bonds the four of us once shared, he has made that clear on more than one occasion, I'm not as blind as Naruto, Sasuke has fallen too far into the darkness to be saved by the light."

She shook her head "and I'm done wasting my energy of trying to save someone who doesn't care to be saved." Sasuke tried to pretend the fact that the one person that in the back of his mind he was sure would never turn on him did turn on him, he tried to pretend it didn't sting.

Sakura sighed "so why are you here Madara, you've already made me battle my parents after you rose them from their graves, or are you here to flaunt the fact that you are going to win." And she smirked "by the way Itachi says to tell you that Naruto is going to beat you but not before he gets a crack at you for corrupting his brother ."

Madara only smirked "so you have met Itachi, tell me how's it feel to have to fight an innocent man to the death, didn't you state you would never harm the innocent and that's why you wouldn't give me the Kyuubi's location"

"That and the fact that you would do anything to protect the Kyuubi, but really Sakura I don't think you're doing a very good job, you know by lying about loving him."

What… was all that filtered through Sasuke's mind. Sakura charged at Madara and the man easily dodged smirking at her. "You failed at beating me last time Saki-chan so what makes you so sure you'll succeed. Face it you're going to die here, and then the Kyuubi and Sasuke will fight it out and your worst nightmares will come to light."

Sakura charged at him her fist raised and ready to strike but it went right through Madara and fell to the ground causing a fissure to open up. Madara continued to smirk "face it your still weak little Sakura, you can't protect them can't protect the Kyuubi and Sasuke, just like you couldn't protect your parents."

Sakura charged again this time much faster "I TOLD YOU HIS NAME IS NARUTO!" and finally she landed a hit to his right cheek causing him to fly back and through about nine tree's before finally stopping.

He smirked and wiped the blood from his lips "face it little Kunoichi you will die here today, and with you gone nothing will be able to stop those two from killing each other."

Sakura turned towards Madara drawing a blue and white Katana she stared him down. "Even if I die here, no one will give up if anything Itachi, Naruto, Ino, Kiba, Sai, Hinata, and everyone I love will fight harder to make sure I did not die in vain."

She shook her head "besides death does not frighten me like when we last met" she smirked at Madara's incredulous look "death is not something to fear it is only a means to a new beginning, and as long as I fell for what I believed in then I feel no terror at the thought of dying."

Madara smirked "you sound like Itachi, and the many loyal leaf ninja who fell before you, who all begged for their lives in the end." Sakura glared "Itachi did not beg" Madara smirked "so you have fallen for the Uchiha, what is it with you and loving us Uchiha's what's next you'll be falling for me."

Sakura spat on the ground in disgust at the very suggestion of loving Madara. "You will not disrespect someone who fights for peace something that is only a dream in the modern society, you will not disrespect the things that Itachi stood for, everything about you disgusts me from you actions to your very face."

Sasuke's mind was a blur. Sakura knew Itachi. Sakura's parents were dead and she had been forced to fight them. Sakura had been tortured by Madara before. Sakura thought he was too far gone to be saved. Madara knew Sakura's worst nightmares which meant he had used the Mangekyō on her, the very thought left a bitter tang in his mouth.

No matter how much he wished for Kohana's downfall to see the place in smoldering ruins. He knew what the Mangekyō could do and he wouldn't wish that on anyone, because he had experienced it himself he would never use his Mangekyō on anyone who didn't rightfully deserve it.

And Sakura didn't. Maybe Naruto on his worst days. But never Sakura.

"We'll end this now little girl" Madara activated his Sharingan and Sakura pulled her headband down over her eyes in response. Madara cackled "getting cocky Sakura, you think you can beat me with you eyes covered, you'll have less a chance then when their open."

Madara cackled again and lunged at Sakura. Sasuke was ready to intervene but stopped when he saw the smile on Sakura's face. And she smoothly dodged Madara. "Don't forget I've trained with three Sharingan users."

She raised a hand ticking off the people she trained with, and dodged Madara again and again. "Let's see I trained with Sasuke briefly when we were gennin, Kashi-sensei usually trains with me and Naruto every Wednesday and five months ago started to train us in ways that could help us combat the Sharingan."

Madara was getting angry now; this girl was dodging him smoothly something that even Sasuke and Itachi sometimes would struggle with. And with her eyes covered like that his Sharingan could not do anything but copy her jutsu's at this point, and because she wasn't using any it was basically useless to him besides watching her movements.

This girl was beyond irritating.

Finally Madara had had enough of her and decided killing her could wait for another day, and if he was lucky Sasuke would kill her for him. After all he had been watching the whole time. Now if he could think of the right way to provoke him.

Ah yes that one would work. "So is it true Sakura that you were the one to diagnose Itachi and then wouldn't help him?" Sakura stared at him in shock her mouth falling open in shock. And when Madara realized Sasuke had finally unmasked his chakra and with a pleased smile he noted that his turbulent chakra was festering with rage.

Well might as well leave now. Sasuke would do the work for him. And with that he teleported himself away from the field.

Sasuke jumped down and crept up to the Kunoichi who was still blindfolded. She turned towards him "I have nothing to say to you after what you have done." At first he thinks she believes him to be Madara but the more he thinks about it the more he knows she knows who she is talking to.

"Why didn't you help him" he growled out. Sakura snorted "why do you care you only wanted his death, even though I told you it would bring you no happiness."

Those words…..all those years ago, she knew…..

"You knew what was ordered didn't you Sakura all those years ago." Sakura nodded "my grandfather's name was Danzo I'm sure you knew him." Sasuke growled so she was related to that bastard, she wasn't making a good case for herself.

"I didn't get along with him in fact he hated me as much as I hated him for his actions, I read his journal it said it all. That was two years before we became a team." Sasuke stared at her. She had known for that long.

He glared at her "why didn't you tell me?" Sakura stared at him "would you have believed me?" and he knows he wouldn't have but still it burns to know she knew why he was doing what he was doing and yet she still tried to kill him.

"No"

She nods "I thought as much, which is why I never told you, I hinted that night but you didn't comprehend what I said." And he smirks "Really I got it loud and clear you love me, and that's why you can't kill me and why you're weak around me."

Sakura didn't deny it. "True I did and most likely always will, but there are more important things to worry about now then if you love me, like the fact you must die." She still hasn't uncovered her eyes and Sasuke knew he could kill her any moment with one blow and even if she dodged she was low on chakra and wouldn't last long against him when his reserves were so high.

But he didn't want to.

"Or like the fact that Naruto is going to give his life for yours because you refuse to come home." Sasuke glared "Kohana is not my home Sakura, it can't be."

Sakura shook her head "no it is, you are just to blinded by anger right now to see it, you're traveling a dangerous path Sasuke" he noticed the kun was not present and it hurt even though he told himself it was for the best.

"Hate breeds revenge, revenge breeds hatred, and so on and so forth the cycle cannot be broken until someone learns to forgive, are you ready for that Sasuke can you do that?" she licks her lips "or am I right, are you past the point of redemption."

She turns away from him and starts to walk away "goodbye, Sasuke I hope you make the right decision" she continues to walk and he realizes she had never answered his question. "Sakura wait" she turns her head back to face him "yes" and Sasuke is quiet for a moment "Itachi why didn't you help him."

"Because there was nothing I could do but prolong his life and make it as pain free as possible" and Sasuke doesn't like the answer, but he knows she wasn't lying to him there was too much honest regret and sadness in her voice and on her face.

She must have tried so hard to save him it was written all over her face. Sasuke knew medics weren't gods and there were people they couldn't save. He knew that and he was at least grateful that someone had cared enough to try to help Itachi. That was more then he could say for himself.

Sasuke nodded "thank you" he hesitated when she flinched "for at least trying" she nodded and uttered a soft "you're welcome."

He stood in the center of the field watching her walk away and when she was almost into the tree's she turned back to face him, a sad smile on her face "Sasuke think about you decision carefully, choose wisely because if you choose the wrong choice them the next time we meet, we will be enemies."

It was a while after she left that he realized she didn't consider him an enemy yet. And so he sat in that field for a long time considering his options and thinking long and hard about what Sakura had told him.

Finally three hours after he was supposed to be back at camp he had made his decision.

Apparently it was the right one because three years later the war was over, Madara and the Akatsuki were no more, team seven was whole again, and he was getting married.

He smiled softly as a beautiful pink haired women walked down the aisle to him in a white dress that had his smiled turning into a full blown grin.

Because she was the most satisfying thought he had had in a long, long time.

_**END**_

_**A/n**_ OMG I love this one so much. And I wrote it in an hour. Wow. I have homecoming tomorrow (go class of 2015!) and I have to go straight from school to help set up. So I plan to start working on the next one on Friday so hopefully by Monday I'll be able to update again. Keep your fingers crossed!

Please tell me anything you liked anything I can improve on and anything that really caught your eye!

Also another huge thank you to all who stick with me!

Love you lots,

Peace out and may the force be with you,

Abby


	9. Snoop

Sakura sighed and shook her head she was tired and was covered in blood from her shift at the hospital. But she still had her nightly duties to attend to and she couldn't go back to her small apartment until they were taken care of.

She thanked the gods though that no one came to this area of Kohana anymore, because she was sure she was a horrid mess, she hoped to gods that after this was finished she got back to her apartment without anyone seeing her.

Sighing she slipped through the yellow tape and into the Uchiha district. She sighed and rubbed the back of her head, running fingers through pink tresses encrusted with blood. She was coming upon the cemetery now and she sighed she was a step closer to her warm shower.

Silently she jumped over the gate. It was rusted now and wouldn't open so she had taken to just jumping over the gate instead of trying to oil it. She froze though when she sensed the other chakra. She knew that signature.

Sasuke.

Her mind sped through the possible scenarios she knew it would be bad if he sensed her and she ran. It would make it look like she was snooping when she wasn't. The best thing she could do was just continue on in and finish what she was here for.

So with that in mind she continues on in checking on various plants until she came into the innermost center, and that's when she saw him.

He was kneeling in front of a grave stone. His Akatsuki cloak spread out around him a dark and foreboding contrast to the pure white snow that was surrounding them. His head was bowed and his hands were bent into prayer.

If she wasn't so worried about the fact he was in Kohana she would have laughed at the supposed atheist.

"You shouldn't be in Kohana" Sasuke whirled around in a defensive crouch his eyes narrowed "I couldn't sense you, you where masking you chakra stop snooping where you shouldn't be Sakura." She shook her head "no you couldn't sense me because my chakra is drained to the point of being nearly nonexistent."

He seemed to take in her appearance "you just came from the hospital didn't you?" Sakura laughed lightly and knelt down by the stone next to Sasuke. His mother's stone. She then started to tend to the small flower.

"What tipped you off Sasuke the fact that I'm dressed in my medic uniform or the blood?" She sighed and tugged on the weeds gently before they came out of the ground roots and all. She then checked that the small chakra barrier that kept the cold out was still intact.

She smiled when she noticed it was. She then stood and made her way down the rows, tugging out weeds and making sure each plant would prosper throughout the cool Kohana winter. After some time she felt Sasuke behind her and she tensed.

A ninja's back is its most vulnerable spot. And Sakura wasn't wearing her armor.

However it would be best if she didn't react defensively. Best she let him think that she wasn't worried then react defensively and have a full out battle in a graveyard.

So she continued to work on the small lily and ignored the fact that Sasuke could strike her down at any moment. And when she was sure that the lily was in good condition she moved on. Sasuke still tailing her. Finally she had had enough.

"Look Sasuke I would really appreciate it if you would not stand behind me." Sasuke didn't move. Finally she spun around and glared up at him. "Does me standing behind you make you feel uncomfortable Sakura?"

He was smirking she would punch him if she had enough chakra.

"Considering the last time we met you tried to strangle me to death, so yes it does make me very nervous and uncomfortable." He frowned "Then leave Sakura" he paused for a moment "you tried to kill me too let's not forget that."

She sighed "look let's make a deal, I'll finish what I'm here to do, and then leave if you don't harm anyone in Kohana, and I'll let you do whatever you're here to do without going to the hokage because I know she's very busy" Sasuke stared at her "hn no" she glared "look Uchiha I've had a bad enough day as is, I don't need you screwing it up more, so please just agree so this day can end sooner."

Sasuke stared at her "what exactly happened" Sakura sighed and rubbed her temples "nine anbu squads came back in critical condition, I was in surgery for nineteen hours straight and only two patients survived and even their not in the best of conditions."

Sasuke quickly did the mental math, nine times the usual ten people on an anbu squad was ninety patients and if all but two died then that means Sakura lost eighty eight patients today.

"Hmm you're weak if you lost that many patients."

Sakura turned to him glaring fiercely "what the hell would you know Sasuke, when was the last time you spent three days healing people nonstop, when was the last time you had a man bleed out on you because you just couldn't figure out what kind of poison was being used, when was the last time you had found out that the anbu you just where trying to save was pregnant with her first child."

She stared up at him from her position on the ground "when was the last time the man you where trying to heal's arties burst covering you with his blood, when was the last time you've had to deliver you patients final words to their distressed wife."

"Please tell me when Sasuke."

He stayed silent. "That's right Sasuke, you can't tell me when because you kill and I heal that's the way it is." She shifted her position so she was in a low crouch "I've killed people Sasuke, but I've never ever taken joy in the killing, I'm not sadistic like you I don't enjoy killing people, I don't get high off of it."

She glared at him "you do" she then stood and made her way down the final row. Sasuke still tailing her. Finally she doubled back and knelt in front of the stone that Sasuke had been occupying.

"So you know."

Sasuke looked at her in shook. She gently traced the name engraved on the stone. _Uchiha Itachi, a loyal shinobi through and through._

She and Naruto had been the one to engrave that.

"Sasuke, you know don't you" he glanced at her his eyes spitting fire "I know allot of things Sakura you'll have to be more specific" she glared "you know what your brother did what he sacrificed for you and yet you still seek to destroy Kohana you disgust me, I can't believe Itachi actually though you were worth saving."

Sasuke quickly pulled his katana and placed it to Sakura's neck drawing a thin stream of blood. Glares locked red verses green. And somehow it appeared that Sakura would win.

"Don't talk about Itachi like you knew him."

Sakura laughed bitterly "I knew him, I knew what he planned and I knew that he wouldn't change his mind no matter how much I begged, one life for thousands he said was a fair trade, it made me so angry but he was so set on you killing him and stopping treatment that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't change his mind."

Sasuke looked at her with wide eyes his Sharingan no longer lighting his eyes with their fierce light. "How did you-" She glanced up.

"I took the Hippocratic Oath Sasuke, he came to me and asked for treatment to extend his life" she leveled him with her gaze "and I didn't refuse, over the course of a year he came once every week and I treated him to the best of my ability."

"I did the best I could Sasuke but the tumor was inoperable and the best I could do was give him oral medication and hope that the tumor would shrink but it just wouldn't and it was constricting his lungs, then the day came he wanted to go seek you" she glanced down "I tried so hard but he wouldn't change his mind."

She raised her finger again to trace the letters "and then he left and never returned" she turned to him "he wanted the best for this village and I respect him for that, but more over he wanted the best for you."

She glared at him "look at yourself Sasuke your not the boy we fought so hard to save you're a monster who kills without a thought and seeks to destroy all that ever mattered to Naruto, to me, and at one point you."

"I really wish you could be redeemed Sasuke I really do" she shook her head "but your making the very thought laughable."

Sasuke glared "so you don't love me then?"

Sakura shook her head "loves a funny emotion Sasuke, it's fickle and flints and flies until it finds the place it needs to be and even when it's best for a person to stop loving someone love doesn't listen, my love is no different but there is also another aspect to love and that's the mind, I don't want to love you Sasuke and my mind and heart are fighting, but the mind is strong and it's winning."

She looked down at her hands that where spotted by streaks of dirt. "Maybe you can be redeemed Sasuke, in fact if you tried to change I'm sure you could, but war is coming and you have to choose a side, and even though I love you, I'm not going to let you destroy all I love."

"I'm stronger then that" and this time he doesn't argue and he drops his arm to his side his Katana plunging downwards before landing on the ground in a tomb of snow. Gently she tugged on the weeds that surrounded the small peony.

She hummed quietly before starting to sing quietly "Debajo de las mantas de nieve en tierra sagrada, duermen tranquilamente en reposo Ohh, pero hay mucho más Una sola rosa roja que crece desde el suelo Oh dejar que la madre y ella, la vid y debajo de la nieve tan profunda Una rosa nació."

Finally she finished and stood, brushing her hands of onto her white skirt, or mostly white skirt because there were spots of red on it to. She was about to walk away when she felt a hand on her wrist "let…go…of…me…Uchiha."

She growled a feral sound lighting up the twilight hours; the sun already faded leaving only a ghost of blue behind.

"Sakura just please wait" she turned to him glaring "look Uchiha-" "does the Hokage know what those bastards ordered."

Sakura looked at him in shock. "Ah yeah you killed Danzo, Tsunade-sensei was in a coma then, but when she woke up she wanted to know why, so me and Naruto told her" Sakura pierced her lips "actually she's been trying to find a way to get rid of them ever sense then, she's always hated them but now she has even more ammo to fuel the fire."

Sasuke smirked "well then Sakura do you believe she would let me take them out for her."

"Does this mean you're considering…" she trailed off when he nodded, Sakura smiled slightly "well then let's go and you can ask her."

Sasuke nodded and stopped her as she started to do the seals for a transportation jutsu "your almost out of chakra and I need you to meditate between me and your sensei" Sakura shook her head and did the next seal.

"I have enough chakra for a simple transportation jutsu."

They disappeared in a swarm of cherry blossoms that fell to litter the ground where they once stood.

Tsunade looked up from her position at her desk when she saw the swarm of flowers "Sakura you should be at home resting after the day you had today, it's not good for you to be up and about with this little—Sakura was there yes, but next to her stood Uchiha, Sasuke dressed in a Akatsuki cloak—chakra" she finished lamely.

"Sakura please explain to me why I'm seeing the Uchiha standing next to you" said Tsunade glaring at the Uchiha who had tried to kill her student while she had been in a coma, Sakura sighed "I was tending the Uchiha graveyards and I saw him there kneeling in front of Itachi's headstone."

"Sakura don't get me started on why you shouldn't be tending those graves, but please continue, before I send for the anbu and they hurl him away to prison."

Sakura nodded and turned to Sasuke "ask her" Sasuke nodded "Sakura told me you want the elders gone as much as I do, so I was wondering if you would let me handle the situation" he paused "in return I would give you all the info I know of the Akatsuki and only ask that you let me remain in Kohana where my brother wanted me to be."

Tsunade sighed and laced her fingers together before laying her head down in them "you do realize I can't let you back into Kohana without a punishment correct?" Sasuke nodded "good however I do understand why you killed Danzo however I can't let you just go kill Koharu and Homura."

Sasuke glared "however if you agree I will advance with an official trial, so we can get rid of them permanently, I already have the file that has all I need to prosecute them."

Sasuke frowned, he wanted them dead yes, but would he settle for them not dying by his hands. He glanced over at the bloody woman who was conversing with her master about some medical mumbo jumbo, he didn't know what he felt for Sakura, but he did know that he truly wanted to find out.

Because he didn't like not knowing something.

"Yes."

Both women turned towards him. Tsunade sighed "well then I suppose I should give you your punishment, you will have your chakra sealed for a year's time, if in that period of time you do not make any mistakes that hurt Kohana, then I will unseal your chakra and consider reinstating you as a Kohana shinobi."

"In addition I want you to stay with an anbu" Tsunade turned to Sakura "Sakura, that will be you, I trust you can handle him" Sakura nodded "good for tonight I'd like you to stay in the tower so we can discuss the information you said you had on Akatsuki that could aid us in the upcoming war."

"Sakura I want you to go home sleep, eat, and be back here at ten tomorrow morning got it?" Sakura nodded "hai" she turned to leave but stopped at the door "Tsunade-sensei just how long have you been expecting this and planning Sasuke's punishment." Tsunade smiled "I've been planning this ever sense I met with you and Naruto, after Uchiha left, I knew you wouldn't be like Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and me, so for about four years now going on five" Sakura shook her head and opened the door.

"You where right though as always, Me, Naruto, and Sasuke, we aren't the Sannin" and she said it with such pride that Tsunade smiled. "Goodnight Sasuke, Tsunade-sensei" she yawned and stepped out the door.

Tsunade shook her head, smiling "well that's Sakura for you, she's just something else" she sighed and opened a door in her desk and pulled out a white folder, before grabbing a pen and paper "now let's get down to business Uchiha what can you tell me about the Akatsuki….."

Twenty three years later, Sakura stood in front of her mirror and brushed her short pink hair frowning slightly at the strands of white that were starting to appear. Suddenly she felt arms snake around her waist. She smiled "Sasuke-kun what are you doing" Sasuke squeezed her tightly before stepping to the side and smirking at her "hn, what can't I hug my beautiful wife?" Sakura chuckled and hit him lightly on the arm.

"Of course just not when I'm brushing my hair" Sasuke laughed lowly smirked at her "Kimyoki and Itachi are in bed, so…" he grinned at her, before bending down and kissing her. To which she fisted her hands in his hair and they tumbled into the bed still kissing each other passionately.

Hours later Sasuke smiled down at the head of pink that was laying on his chest. "you look beautiful like this Sakura" Sakura laughed lightly "I bet you say that to all the girls you just made love with" Sasuke shook his head "no just you."

She turned over slowly and kissed his nose "good."

They snuggled deeper under the blankets Sasuke's arms wrapped tightly around her. Sakura yawned and nuzzled her head into Sasuke's chest. "hmmm can you believe it's been twenty three year's since you came back?"

"Hn no, it still seems like yesterday I found you snooping through the Uchiha graveyard."

"HEY I wasn't snooping" Sasuke laughed and kissed her head "I know Sakura-chan, I know"

She smiled before falling into the embrace of sleep. Sasuke glanced down at the beautiful creature in his arms. He hadn't lied it did still feel like yesterday, and the weeks that followed still felt like only last week as went for the months and the years. To think the wonderful years and months and weeks and days that they'd spent together all started with a bloody girl snooping in the Uchiha graveyard.

Sasuke hated people who snooped, but for Sakura he would make an exception after all he did love her.

_**-END-**_

A/N** SO I WANT YOU ALL TO THANK MY EX-BOYFRIEND WHO HAD THE NERVE TO ASK ME OUT AGAIN LAST NIGHT AFTER DUMPING ME IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL AND THINK I WOULD SAY YES, HE WAS THE INSPERATION FOR THIS CHAPTER. THANK YOU BASTARD-FACE-JONAH FOR MAKING ME MAD ENOUGH TO SIT DOWN AND WRITE TO VENT!**

So this was for day nine "Snoop" and again I had fun writing this one, I think it has to do with the ninja world that I'm writing this in, I just like ninja's hence I had so much fun playing ninja with by honorary sister last night at homecoming. (2015 aliens rule…..LOL our theme was "in 2015 life on mars will be discovered")

Also I would like to thank these people:

**Mistressinwaiting** for reviewing almost every chapter and just being a sweetheart….THANK YOU!

**M3lita** for favoriting this story it means a lot….THANK YOU!

The song was a piece of something I wrote that I translated into Spanish because I couldn't figure out how to translate it into Japanese and let it still use English letters.

If you find any mistakes please tell me and I'll fix them as always I love to improcve

Peace out and may the force be with you,

Abby


	10. Home

Sasuke sighed as he made his way through the empty streets. All was quiet and the ex-avenger found the fact extremely troubling.

Normally right around now Naruto would find him – even when he did his best to hide from the damned dobe - and then they make their way down to the hospital to pick up the teams only female, who would always be nearing chakra depletion.

Naruto would insist on going out to eat, but Sasuke secretly thought he was just trying to avoid eating the food the Hyuuga heiress prepared for him, she could cook ramen and a few other things and that was about it.

He would promise to pay – even though he never did, unless Sakura and him where fast enough to get out of there- They would find themselves in front of a restaurant although it was usually the ramen shop.

They would order their meals and Naruto would talk about his day, and if it had been a good day at the hospital and no one had died, under Sakura's hands then she would talk about her own day, how she delivered a baby, and brought an anbu back from the brink of death. Sasuke would then fill in the blanks with grunts and one syllable answers, before telling a bit of what happened to him.

Half way through the meal, Kakashi, Yamoto and Sai would appear each with a different excuse although Sasuke doubted any of them where valid. Especially the damned painter who had a bad habit of calling Sakura ugly.

To which she would threaten him and more often than not beat him up leading her to being even more chakra depleted. Something that had his immediate disliking to his '_replacement'_ growing to near impossible lengths.

The three late-comers would be the first to finish their meal and the first to leave. Once the three where finished they would pay the due amount, usually ending with Naruto having to large red bumps on the top of his head. For making them pay.

Again.

Then they would head to their own homes. Naruto being the first to leave, heading to his and Hinata's apartment. Leaving Sasuke and Sakura to walk home alone. Now most of Kohana thought he only walked her home as a precaution because he didn't believe in her strength.

However they were so wrong, he mused, he knew Sakura was exceedingly strong in fact he had seen her in action many a times. He walked her home because he enjoyed the silence that always blanketed them at these moments. The way she would smile and shake her head before hugging him and heading into her apartment building.

But not before uttering a small simple fraise that he always puzzled over "thank you Sasuke, for this" and then she would say something in a different language and smile slightly before heading inside.

On the nights when he couldn't sleep he often puzzled on what she had said. He had gone as far as to go to the library to find books on languages but had not been able to figure it out.

It was a mystery. She was a mystery.

Sasuke sighed when he felt Naruto's chakra coming towards him, even before he saw the obnoxious orange that he still wore under his hokage cloak. "What do you want dobe?" Naruto fell into step next to him "now, now teme can't a guy come see his bestest friend in the world without being interrogated?"

"Hn no, now unless you're here to inform me Sakura's back, leave" Naruto sighed "why won't you go anywhere with the team if Sakura-chan's not there?" Sasuke glanced at Naruto "because out of the whole team she's the only one who makes this all tolerable."

Naruto clapped Sasuke on the back of the head earning him an annoyed glare "now, now we all know you love our dear Ugly, Traitor however does that mean you have to seclude yourself while she's away?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed, so Naruto had brought that thing with him.

"What do the two of you want" Naruto frowned "teme Sakura-chan won't be happy that you're distancing yourself from us because she's not here." Sasuke sighed "what do you want" Naruto looked at him "Sasuke-teme, Sakura-chan should be back tomorrow, so I don't know why you're so worried."

Sasuke scoffed, he wasn't worried for the simple reason he had nothing to be worried about. Sakura was an extremely strong shinobi who could accomplish missions like this with her eyes blinded and her hands tied behind her back.

It was simple really, all she had to do was go to lightening eliminate a threat to Kohana, do a little healing and then she was on her way back home. The mission hardly deserved to be ladled S-ranked it was far too easy.

So Sasuke wasn't worried sure, it was her first solo mission in a long while, but she could handle it. So he wasn't worried in the least.

Still he decided he would feel better when she was back in Kohana safe and sound.

"Come on teme come have dinner with us" Sasuke smirked "what dobe did the Hyuuga try a new dish again?" Naruto shivered "n-no I just feel like ramen" Sasuke shook his head "I'll pass." And with that said he continued down the street before doubling back and jumping onto the balcony of his apartment.

He pushed the doors open and stepped inside. Immediately he knew something was wrong. The first thing that tipped him off was the fact that his front door's lock was in the unlocked position but none of his traps had been sprung.

The second thing was the trail of bloody footprints leading to the bathroom. The third thing was Sakura's ninja sandals lying innocently by the front door. Silently he crept through the apartment and towards the bathroom door.

He could hear the water running and the bloody footprints led straight up to the door. He knocked on the door and when he received no answer he knocked again, this time he became a little worried.

Team seven would often head to the nearest house to shower when they came back from a mission, and Sasuke knew Sakura frequently used his shower instead of going home to use her own. So much in fact he had Sakura's strawberry shampoo in his bathroom.

However Sakura always answered when he knocked on the door.

Something was wrong.

"Sakura" he called and when he received no answer he flung open the door. He stared in horror at what he saw; his once clean bathroom was stained with blood. Red was everywhere. And lying in the shower half clothed half not was Sakura.

There was so much blood covering her he couldn't tell where it was coming from, from where he was standing so he crept closer. And paled at the sight that awaited him. Sakura was laying there the shower beating down on her snow white face. There was a thin strip of blood trailing down her chin and even more was gathered at the drain behind her head.

There was a large wound on her stomach that was half healed but was bleeding steadily. But what worried him the most was the fact that Sakura was unconscious and her chest was barely moving.

He stifled a groan crossed with a scream.

Quickly he gathered the bleeding girl into his arms, not caring for the fact that she was half naked, there wasn't enough time to worry for her modesty. Sakura was dyeing he didn't have time to worry about her modesty. Sasuke quickly stood and moved Sakura to his bed.

Laying her down he ran back to his bathroom and gathered a bowl and filled it with warm water, before grabbing a towel and a lot of bandages and various ointments. He stripped Sakura of her chest bindings and tried very hard not to stare at what he was unwinding.

He quickly dunked the towel in the warm water and set to cleaning Sakura's wound. Once all the blood was cleaned he could see it was much, much worse than he could have imagined. She was nearly run through. He couldn't fix this.

He was surprised she was still alive.

Quickly he wrapped her wound to the best of his ability and groaned when he saw it was already soaking through. He gently picked her up and slung her over his back so she was riding him in a piggyback fashion. Once he was sure she was secure he did a set of hands signs and hoped and prayed that the transportation jutsu got them there in time.

He was relieved when the hospital's reception desk popped into sight. "Yamanaka" Ino looked up from the magazine she was reading and her blood ran cold. Quickly she sprung over the desk and tried to take Sakura from his arms.

Only problem was he wouldn't let go "Sasuke you have to let go of Sakura, she needs help immediately" Sasuke knew this but there was a primal part of him that couldn't let her go, this part of him viewed Sakura as his own and needed her near him.

However if he gave into that primal part Sakura would die, and that was a thought that made his blood run cold and a sickening feeling settle in his gut.

So he surrendered Sakura to the Yamanaka and let her be taken away from him. Silently and in a daze he made his way into the waiting room where a nurse found him hours later. "Uchiha-san" he looked up from where he was staring at his bloodied hands. "You brought Haruno-sama in correct?" Sasuke nodded numbly.

"Haruno-san suffered multiple internal injuries, not including being nearly run through, and is in critical condition, she's in emergency surgery, and we were wondering if you knew how to contact any of her family."

Sasuke looked up "she's an orphan she has no family" he winced at how hoarse his voice sounded. The nurse looked taken aback "Oh well then, thank you, we'll find you when she's out of surgery" Sasuke nodded and went back to staring at his bloody hands.

He wasn't lying just like Naruto Sakura had no parents. It disgusted him how he had once hated her for having parents when he didn't, except Sakura never had any; she had only made it seem like she did to protect her boys from the truth.

Her plan was flawed however because when he came back Sasuke figured it out quite quickly, shadow clones don't fool anbu level missing-nin. And Sakura was quick to confess.

It was funny in a sick sort of way that if it was a few years ago he would have enjoyed the idea of Sakura's blood on his hands that he would have been pleased to see Kohana's blood on his hands for what they did to Itachi, but now he was quite frightened and disgusted by the prospect. She meant too much to him now too loose.

He couldn't lose her he just couldn't. Not Sakura she was far too important.

It struck him right then that Sakura could die. And then he was sobbing, because the very prospect of a world where Sakura no longer existed had him broken to the very core. Nothing would be the same and he was quite sure he would die along with her if she left them.

He needed Sakura.

And that was how Naruto found him, sobbing into his bloody hands. "Sasuke what happened" Sasuke looked up at Naruto and saw the wild look in the crystal blue eyes. Naruto was just as scared as Sasuke was himself.

Sasuke sobbed again and Naruto wrapped an arm around his shoulder "Sasuke I need you to tell me what happened to Sakura-chan" Sasuke looked up his eyes wilder then Naruto's own.

"I came home and there was bloody footprints up to the shower door, I knocked but she didn't answer and I knew she was there because her sandals where by the front door."

Sasuke choked down bile "Naruto, there was so much blood; I haven't seen that much blood since I was eight, and oh god she was in the shower, half dressed and she must have been coughing up blood because it was gathered at the drain behind her head."

Sasuke choked on a sob "she was nearly dead, I tried to bandage her up, but once I cleaned away the blood" he looked down "she was nearly run through" Naruto wrapped his arm tighter around Sasuke. "Sakura-chan's the strongest person I know Sasuke-teme she'll make it through."

And Sasuke clings to those words because he can't lose Sakura he just can't, he needs her, craves her, loves her scent, her eyes, her hair, and her everything. And it is at this moment he realizes he loves her.

He's loved her for so long.

And so he hopes and he prays and when Tsunade comes out of a pair of doors pale tired and so very severe looking he stifles another sob, this time in relief because although Tsunade's tired and pale and severe, she's smiling in a way that lets him know Sakura's alive.

"It was a close call, you're lucky you got her here when you did Uchiha or she would have most likely died. Her right lung had collapsed and most of her organs had either ruptured or where bleeding severely, not to mention she was run through we nearly lost her a couple time but she's stable now and should make a full recovery, praise the kami."

Tsunade sinks into a chair next to Naruto Sasuke Kakashi Yamoto and Sai. Who Sasuke decides must have arrived some time but he can't remember when through the overwhelming relief.

"She's in the intensive care unit, she isn't awake yet, but you can go see her one at a time." Sasuke nods and stands "now traitor what makes you think you can be the first to go see Ugly, after all didn't you want her dead a few years ago, savor the idea of her blood on your hands, her death by your hands, what changed?"

And Sasuke lunges at Sai, his Mangekyō already spinning in his eyes, but Naruto steps in-between the two, while Kakashi holds Sasuke back from killing the former root member. "Sasuke your going first, Sai that was way out of line next time you say something like that I won't stop Sasuke from killing you."

Sasuke scoffs "let go of me" Kakashi looks doubtful but let's go of Sasuke, who punches Sai square in the nose, and he smirked as he feels the cartilage break beneath his knuckles.

Sai stems the blood while Tsunade works on repairing the damage. While the rest of them stare at Sasuke in shock.

"You deserved that painter" he spits out the name in disgust "I would never hurt Sakura" and Sasuke's voice breaks, before he turns on his heels and marches on towards the intensive care unit. He knows he's going to pay for that later but the root ninja had deserved that.

He steps up to the front desk where a medic already seems to be expecting him and she smiles like this was completely normal. "She's in room 321 you have five minutes." Sasuke nods and makes his way down the hall before stepping into the room.

His breath caught in his throat, Sakura was attached to about a dozen machines, and her right eye was covered with bandage, but she was safe and whole and alive, and so, so, so beautiful.

Silently he made his way over to the side of the bed and knelt down by the side of the bed grabbing it in his hands, and it's so warm and soft despite the calluses that come from being a Kunoichi. But she's here and it's okay, and he loves the feeling of her small hand in his large one.

"Sasuke-kun where am I?"

Sasuke looked up at her "Sakura" is all he says before he buries his head into her and sobs. Sakura looks at him in surprise before smiling slightly and placing her hand on his hair and whispering comforting words into his ear.

"Sasuke it's okay, I'm okay" and he looks up his eyes so broken "you almost died" and she smiles "but I didn't, and by the last thing I remember I'm guessing you saved me" and he smiles and places a hand on her shoulder before burrowing his head into her again.

"You scared me, please Sakura don't do that to me again, I can't lose you, please don't leave me again" and she smiles, it's not a love confession but she knows what it means and it's enough, it's more than enough. More than she ever expected from the beautiful Uchiha.

And she's happy, so damn happy.

"Sasuke-kun look at me" he looks up his eyes red and puffy from crying but no less beautiful. "I'm okay, and I'm not leaving you ever okay?" and he nods and she speaks "sedes ubi cor est semper."

"What does that even mean Sakura?" and it's not the first time he's asked her, but this time she knows he's ready to know, so tells him.

"It roughly translates to home is where the heart is" and he smiles and Sakura realizes he should do it more often because the sight melts her heart "your right Sakura, you're my home."

Sakura was the home for his heart, and Sasuke hoped and prayed it always stayed that way.

Sasuke shifted and Sakura winced, immediately Sasuke looks up in alarm "what's wrong?" and she smiles and smoothes down his hair "nothing I'm just a little sore is all, nothing that shouldn't be expected."

Still he frowns.

"Is there anything I can do" Sakura nods and she knows she's being a little bold but she doesn't care "if you could, would you hold me?" and Sasuke smiles widely because there is nothing he would like better "of course" and she shifts to make room for him, and his shirt is a still bloody so he sheds that, and lays down next to her and wraps his arms around her tight.

She stifles a yawn and he smirks. "Go to sleep Sakura, I'll be right here when you wake up" and she nods and buries her head into his firm chest. "I love you Sasuke-kun" and she's asleep.

"Aishiteru, Sakura, always"

Because she was the home for his heart. Always.

**-END-**

**A/n:**

**Aishiteru- "I love you" in Japanese **

**sedes****ubi cor****est****semper****- "home is where the heart is always" in Latin **

This was for day ten or day three of week two, whichever way you want to look at it. And the theme was "home" and god I never expected this to go like this but I'm in love with it, it's just so sweet and cute, and I don't think I could have done it any better. But that's up to you to decide isn't it?

So tell me what I can improve on and what you liked the best.

Thank you to my religious readers who read every chapter, you know who you are!

Love ya lots!

Peace out and may the force be with you,

Abby


	11. Self Sacrifice

The world called her a hero who ended a war. Sasuke just calls her an idiot. A stupid, wonderful, headstrong, beautiful, sweet, strong, idiot.

He sighed and laid his head up against the nearest tree. A red and white Sakura, how appropriate. He shook his head and sighed again it was days like this he was reminded of her the most.

She was so stupid, why did she take that hit?

He coughed and was almost shocked at the red that spotted his hand. Almost. He was on borrowed time, he knew that. It was over, there was no going back and he didn't regret it, just like she did, he took a hit meant for someone else.

"See, I'm not a hopeless case Sakura." He coughed again and black danced across his vision, the pain was burning throughout his body now, and he almost prayed death came upon swift wings. He closed his eyes and winced.

And suddenly he remembers. But then again he does every night, and he wonders if he'll see another night.

…..He's standing in a field and it's bright out. Countless bodies are strewn across the ground and he's facing her. She's grinning at him her giant battle axe resting against her right shoulder. She's dressed in a green jounin vest with an alliance headband covering her forehead. Her beautiful pink locks are past her shoulders now and are hastily pulled back.

She scratched and bruised, and her eyes are dulled, but she's still grinning and tossing a kunei in her hand.

Up and down.

Up and down.

And it infuriates him, how could she act so calm, did she not know what her village did?

"So are we going to do this or what?" she's hefting her axe over her shoulder now and holding it above her head before tossing it as well. She was trying to intimidate him. And sadly it was working. He was better than that.

But the fact remained that he was wary of her careless display of strength. Just how good was she?

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and darted towards her, but she seamlessly avoided him, before jumping up into the air. He looked around what was she doing? She couldn't honestly think she could sneak up on him, and if she did she was truly foolish.

But it turned out that was not her plan. She came down to the earth, with a thunderous boom. Sasuke jumped back as the earth came up around him, and there stood Sakura a small smirk playing against pink lips.

"You've gotten stronger." Sakura frowned and launched herself at him, swinging the large axe in a wide ark around herself trying to catch him off guard and it almost worked she had incredible mobility for carrying such a large weapon.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan. He might just need it.

"No duh idiot, I had to otherwise I would be left behind" Sasuke smirked and slashed at her with his katana rewording him with a long diagonal cut along her right arm. But the smirk was short lived because she healed it without even moving.

Damn.

She dropped her axe and pulled a smaller weapon off of her back. Before grabbing it with expert hands and motioning for him to advance. He didn't need any encouragement and so they entered a dangerous dance.

"Sasuke I can't believe you've sunken so low" he glared at her and aimed a chidori infused blade at her stomach but she smoothly dodged. "How can you fight alongside with Madara, a horrendous despicable man, who should have been killed decades ago."

Sasuke growled. He didn't like the old man, but he was the last remaining member of his family, so he couldn't let Sakura bad mouth him either. "What would you know Sakura?" and she laughs "I know plenty of things Sasuke…some I wish I didn't, but I know."

What. An. Infuriating. Women.

She landed a hit on him and he skidded back raising a hand to his jaw. It was broken. He smirked despite the pain. "Sakura…you're going to regret that" she shook her head "doubt it" he glared at her and aimed a chidori at her heart, but she only evaded him again.

"Can't you do anything else but dodge" she glared. "Plenty however I am no use to my team if I can't heal them" she ran at him her fist raised "however I can waste some time on you, Naruto's too busy right now to deal with you."

He punched her in the stomach, and she coughed up blood, "but also- the Sakura in front of him disappeared in a cloud of smoke- I want you to see how strong I have become."

Sasuke's eyes widened, he could hear her but where the fuck was she? Then it struck him. BELOW! He barely had time to evade her before she was crashing up out of the rock with another mini earthquake.

"Damn" she cursed she was so close. But she shot back at him and he met her halfway with equal fury. They clashed in the middle in a flurry of pink and black, long thin swords interlocked in a deadlock that neither could break.

And as he stares down at her he realizes he was wrong, her eyes haven't dulled there just different, no longer are they innocent and love struck, instead their full of something totally different, disgust, hope, sorrow, and so much determination. There still so green that it hurts, there just a different kind of green.

A more grown up green. He's not so sure how he feels about it.

"Why do you fight when you know you will lose?" she doesn't answer for a moment and instead jumps back breaking the deadlock that had formerly existed. "Sasuke, I would rather lose then never try, you on the other hand, would rather not try, then lose at anything."

"It's what makes us different" and she stares at him with cool calculating eyes, and she's about to charge again but she hears a terrible howl and yowl, and she feels her stomach drop as a cloud of dust spreads out around.

"Naruto…"

"NARUTO!"

Sasuke catches the panic in her eyes before she's off running. What scared her so terribly that she would run? Sasuke doesn't have time to consider it though because a moment latter the ground shakes and he gives into his curious nature.

And so he follows the path Sakura took and he emerges into a sight he thought he would never see in his life. Standing in front of him is both his former teammates. Except one is glowing a in a brilliant yellow, and the others hair is falling loose and blowing about in an enchanting manner.

There both fighting one person. One Uchiha. Uchiha, Madara, to be exact. Or at least Naruto was, Sakura was taking on Kabuto and both seemed to be fairing fine. Still he couldn't help but feel like he should join them.

And so he does.

First he knocks Kabuto away from Sakura long enough for her to sever the muscles in his right arm, and then he goes and joins Naruto. Naruto regards him with shocked eyes but just grins "nice to see you join the right side teme."

Is he? Or will he turn on them the moment something changes. Sasuke can't answer the question himself.

They fight and spare a glance towards their female teammate whenever they can, however they don't need to because she fairing fine and winning spectacularly.

The battle continues for hours. And Madara taunts. Naruto Rasengan's. Sasuke Chidori's. Sakura punches. Naruto tail beast balls. Sasuke Amaterasu's. Sakura heals. And so on and so forth working in harmony until Kabuto is dead and finished and all that is to be finished off is Madara.

And their standing together and fighting together, watching each others backs and collaborating techniques, Sasuke's fire is spread by Naruto's wind, and Sakura's water directs Sasuke's lighting.

They fight together and it's beautiful and haunting and wonderful and happy, and scary and dangerous and it sets people on edge. It's the final battle everyone knows that.

The one question remaining. Who will be the victor?

Which side wins, which made greater sacrifices, which was right and which was wrong?

In war those things are never clear.

However this was ever so clear. Sasuke didn't have enough chakra anymore to keep his Sharingan on, and was now relying on his physical strength and skills with his katana. Naruto was now relying heavily on the fox and had dropped down from his tail beast form to regular Naruto, if you could ever call him regular.

And Sakura who was the best at evading and dodging and healing was fighting right alongside her boys, she was now using her brute strength saving her chakra for when she would need it. Madara cackled even though they'd hit and kicked him, and he was bleeding and was fairing littler better than they were.

But he had his goal right in front of him, the nine-tails and his so called brother. Really kin, figurative or not, shouldn't hate each other, it breeds no good.

But it worked to his gain.

And then Sakura notices it, in the split second the boys hit him with their combined attacks, there's a small moment when she could sneak up, and hit and kill him before he could even blink, and yes it's dangerous and she knows she's most likely performing self sacrifice.

But if it worked, if it worked, her love turned begrudged enemy, her best friend turned brother, her friends turned family, and the village turned to rubble. They would all be safe, and if Sakura was sure of anything in this world, she had never wanted anything more than their safety and happiness.

So if she died in the process then so be it. Whatever was meant to happen would be.

And so when Sasuke shoots flames and Naruto sends wind flying at Madara, she strikes, she speeds off and she's suddenly in front of Madara and she's waits for the impact and when she hears the boys screams of horror she smiles and as they strike, she does as well.

She channels all her chakra into her right fist. Hitting his neck his eyes go wide and then he falls back. His spine is broken, is head hit clean off, and sent tumbling, tumbling across the ground.

But the boys have more on their mind and she feels herself fall, down, down, down, down onto something soft. And she coughs and smiles up at the stricken face of Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki.

"Hey…guys" she croaks and Naruto sobs, an she raises her hand to her chest and tries to heal it but she's out of chakra and even if she could she knew where she was hit was untreatable unless you where Tsunade or Sakura herself.

Tsunade was miles away, and Sakura couldn't heal herself with little to no chakra.

"Sakura why?" Sasuke chokes. And she smiles and reaches up to cup both of her boys cheeks "you're a hopeless case if you can't understand Sasuke." She coughs again and Sasuke recoils at the sight, blood dots her small hand.

"Sakura-chan what can I do?" She shakes her head "my silly baka, you can't do anything" and he sobs again and Sasuke chokes down his own sobs. She was dying and they couldn't save her.

It was their worst nightmare come reality.

"Sakura why?" he asks again and places his hand over her chest trying to stem the bleeding. She shakes her head "I suppose I should tell you, you hopeless case, it's because I love my brother and I love you."

After all he did after all he said…she still loved him. And it was just possible he could feel the same, especially when he felt the tightening in his chest and saw the tears hitting bloodied skin.

"Sasuke-teme, get her to Baa-chan NOW" and he's shaking and Sasuke tries to scoop her up but she stops him.

"NO, I've lost too much blood I'm past saving now, I don't want either of you to leave my side, you have to stay with me….please…." she trails off as she coughs again and more blood dots her hand.

"How can you not understand, that all I ever wanted was for my boys to be happy and safe, and whole."

And then her head falls back listless and dead. "Sakura" "Sakura-chan" and then Sasuke has her shoulders in his hands and he's shaking her.

"Sakura, wake up please wake up, you've got to live, you have to."

And he's yelling at her and it's finally Naruto pries his hands off of her and lays her back gently on the ground.

"Sasuke, she gone"

And it's at that moment something in him breaks and he lets out such a yowl of pain that Naruto bows his head….

Sasuke coughed again, he was almost gone now and he could hear feet pounding earth Naruto was probably one of them having already recovered and having taken the least of the attack, but they wouldn't get here in time.

_**Thump, thump thump thump **_

Green eyes sparkling with love

_**Thump thump thump **_

Pink hair falling in crazy waves all around a peaceful dreaming face

_**Thump thump **_

A beautiful grin with pink full lips

_**Thump **_

"Sasuke-kun I love you so much I can't stand it"_ young sweet Sakura..._

"It's because I love you" _beautiful sweet angel Sakura..._

_I love you angel, may we meet again soon..._

…_**..**_

And then he sees her and she is smiling in the way he remembered and she's dressed in white and her hair is curled. And she is so, so, so beautiful.

And he doesn't know if he's in heaven or hell, or both or neither but as he see's her he decides it doesn't matter.

"Hey" he smirks.

"Hey" she smiles.

And then their together and whole and peaceful and so happy, and if there ever was a story that could compete with Romeo and his Juliet for heart breaking beauty it was their tale but Romeo and his darling little Juliet would never be Sasuke and Sakura

Sasuke was not kind to kill himself upon seeing a peaceful dead face.

Instead he lived for her, because that was what she had wanted.

Sakura was not such a fool to drink a potion and pretend herself dead.

No she died protecting those she loved.

And then there's the final beautiful fact, unlike Romeo and Juliet, Sasuke and Sakura they were together.

And that may be the most beautiful thing of all.

**END**

**A/N** hey I would have had this up last Friday however I had a huge paper due for English ironically on Sacrifices. I had to compare and contrast The Pearl by John Steinbeck and the play version of the Diary of Anne Frank.

So yes I always did think Sasuke and Sakura could compete with Romeo and Juliet for the tragic love award.

And yest this was almost nauseatingly sweet, but it had to be done!

Peace out and may the force be with you,

Abby


	12. Scent

_Day 1_

Sasuke smelt her first.

It was something that he hadn't smelt in months. But he still knew her scent like the back of his hand. She smelt of clean rain and lilacs. And he realized she must be the medic assigned to his case. The head medic. The one Tsunade spoke so highly of. The one capable of healing his eyes.

And he was surprised by this. No it wasn't the fact that she was a medic. He had always known she had great chakra control, one that hadn't been seen in many generations, however she had never known how to use it.

He had also known she had apprenticed under Tsunade. Really it was no secret. He had heard whispers of the hokage taking on an apprentice the day after news reached Orochimaru's base that Naruto – or the Kyuubi as they'd called him - had left with Jiraiya, the toad Sannin.

For weeks and years after he ignored the whispers, because at first they didn't interest him, it was only when they started speaking of her appearance, that he became interested. There weren't many pink haired females that lived in fire country.

Especially in the whispers that she'd killed Sasori of the Akatsuki.

"Hello Uchiha."

Sasuke tilted his head towards her voice after being startled out of his thoughts. "It would appear Tsunade-sensei believes that I would be the best medic for your case although I disagree, but orders are orders."

He heard her high heeled shoes tap- tap-tap across the ground and up to his bed. He expects her to mock him, tell him how far he's fallen, rub his mistakes in his face, and tell him that she was right all along that revenge brought no happiness, he knows he deserves it.

But she doesn't

"Why aren't you mocking me?" he hears her snort, and the scraping sounds of a chair being dragged across the ground. "Just because others do something it doesn't mean I will, just because I don't like you doesn't mean I'm cruel Sasuke."

Sasuke clears his throat and hears her sit and smooth down her skirt, before shifting her weight in the chair, he thinks she expects him to say something more but he doesn't, and so she speaks first. "Sasuke, can you open your eyes for me, I need to see them."

He almost smirked, and would have if not for the startling formality that coupled those words. And he was reminded once again that Sakura was not a self conscious gennin, she was not a twelve year old who was in love with him.

No, she was a confident sixteen year old anbu, and for all that Sasuke could tell hated him. Then again almost strangling someone to death could do that. He was lucky he realized that Naruto and Kakashi even socialized with him in the restricted section of the hospital.

God knows Sakura didn't. He had been here for eight weeks and this was the second time she had come to see him.

Sakura sighed when he didn't do as he was asked "Sasuke I need you to open them so I can see how much damage you've done to your eyes."

Sasuke knew what he was about to do was childish, and he knew in normal situations he would not do this however, this was not normal a normal situation. None ever where when Sakura was involved. "No" Sakura stamped her foot, and Sasuke felt the floor shake.

He smirked "Hn have you gotten fat, is that why the floor just shook."

Sakura restrained herself from grabbing his neck. Breaking his damn spine. Skinning him while he was still alive. And then hanging him on her living room wall, right next to her katana and battle axe.

"No, Sasuke I haven't" she then punched the wall above his head, causing plaster to fall down and hit his head leaving several very painful knots, that she hoped no one healed. He deserved so much worse.

"Fuck you Uchiha, you damn bastard, go to fucking hell where you belong, oh wait hell's too nice a place for you, you deserve to be with the scum that the people in hell walk on."

She then stomped away, her heels tap-tap-tapping away from him.

Sasuke opened his coal black eyes to darkness. And smirked. He may not be able to see now, but at least he had been able to get a reaction out of her one that wasn't hate, anger was better than hate in his book.

He hoped to get a different reaction out of her tomorrow .

_Day 2_

Again the first thing that assaulted his remaining senses was the smell of clean rain and lilacs.

The second was her tap-tapping heels.

And the third was her voice.

"Tsunade- sensei say's I have to apologize for giving you a concussion yesterday." She blew a breath out "So I'm very sorry, Sasuke." He smirked "Good." She huffed and dragged a chair over once again. Before gently raising her hands and placing them on the base of his neck where the bandages started.

Sasuke tensed.

"Relax, I'm just removing the bandages, the nurses say your eyes bled again last night, so I have to see what happened." She gave him a disapproving stare, one that he couldn't see of course. "You should have let them examine you, they won't bite, god knows I hired and trained most of them myself."

He frowned. "Your temper didn't rub off on them did it?" Sakura laughed taking his serous question as a joke. "I'm serious."

The room was filled with silence for a matter of moments before Mount Sakura exploded. "Excuse me Uchiha who do you think you are, asking me that, I trained those medics well, as well if not better then Tsunade trained me."

She huffed, and crossed her arms over her chest. "So who do you really think you are, to question me" She finally sighed and shook her head. "Sasuke why won't you just let me finish what I came here to do, so we can both get this over with" he frowned.

"I can't"

Now Sakura was frowning. "And why the hell not?" Sasuke smirked slightly. He could lie to her, he could think of a thousand things that would break her apart. He could criticize her skills. Tell her she wasn't good enough. Tell her that he didn't trust her. But that wouldn't help him that would only make his current situation worse.

Plus he didn't need to break her. When the whole point of this was to fix them both.

So instead of lying to her he tells her the truth, the whole truth. "I haven't got the right reaction out of you yet." He can tell without his eyes that she's frowning, he knows she doesn't understand, but that okay because he doesn't want her to yet.

"Sasuke I don't understand, you hate me, we both know this, so why are you making this so hard, if you just let me heal your eyes then we can get this over with."

He can almost picture the wrinkles creasing her pale, smooth, creamy forehead. And he knows he's gambling with things that are out of his control when he speaks next but that's okay because if he doesn't gamble even a little bit, he will never earn anything he lost again.

So he speaks, and he prays that he's not fighting a losing cause.

"I'll make you a deal Sakura if in two weeks you don't understand" he takes a breath, this was the true gamble, was two weeks long enough? He didn't know but he had to find out. "Then I'll let you heal my eyes and be done with it, with me, I won't talk to you unless you speak to me first, I won't do anything."

And Sakura stands and takes a step backwards in shock, what game was he playing? He couldn't think that he could dangle something like this in front of her? She was so confused.

"Sakura just please, two weeks let me at least try."

Sakura clears her throat that's suddenly clogged, "Sasuke I…..I don't know…the damage it needs to be assessed…I don't think it can wait."

"Fine examine them, but please wait two weeks more before starting to heal them."

She takes a deep breath before sighing. "Sasuke I don't think you understand what you're giving up, you're gambling with your very sight, do you understand what this could cost you, you could go blind?" He knows this, but if it works it will be worth it.

"And for someone with an ocular bloodline limit, you do know this could be crimpling don't you?" He knew he could lose the Sharingan but it would be worth it if he could get her to forgive him. So he nods "I know all of this Sakura, but I still want you to wait."

Sakura sighs, sits back down, and lays her head in her hands. "Sasuke, I just don't know…fine, but at least let me look at your eyes please?"

He nods.

Sakura gently picks up a sponge and dips it into some warm water "Sasuke keep your eyes closed I'm cleaning the blood away." Sasuke could feel her hands shaking; he hated how he made her so nervous that she shook.

Finally she laid the sponge back into the dirty pink water and takes a deep breath "please open your eyes for me Sasuke."

He does as he's asked and she almost steps backwards. Despite the fact she was sure he couldn't see, his eyes still where startlingly beautiful, it sickened her that after all that had happened, he still had this effect over her.

Still his eyes captivated her, they always had. "Sasuke, I'm going to use my chakra to explore the nerves to see where the most damage is centered, and then we will know if they can wait."

He slowly nodded. And she raised her hands to rest over the dark depths of coal before sending green chakra into the nerves. Sasuke basked in the warm feeling that surrounded him Sakura's chakra was something that he had never felt before. It was warm and bright, and if he had to guess he would say it was as bright as the eyes he remembered.

He honestly felt like he was in heaven. And all too quickly the warm strands of chakra retreated.

Sakura sighed "Sasuke, it's not as bad as I thought it would be, it would seem that the only thing that is stopping you from being able to see and use the Sharingan again is a small tear in the main ocular nerve, however the more you used your Sharingan the more it became torn."

"I can fix it, but you must promise me that if I agree to waiting, then you will not use your Sharingan." He nodded and she sighed. "Well then it would appear we have a deal."

She hesitates before standing "Sasuke, I don't know what you hope to gain by this but…just please don't screw with me."

He knows what the underlying message is _'don't break me'_ it whispers, and he may be in floating in a void, he may be dark and broken, he may be far less than perfect. But he wouldn't break her, couldn't break her.

And so he hears her leave.

And as he blinks under fresh white gauze he smiles, he may have a long way to go, but he was making progress, after all today she hadn't tried to kill him, perhaps he could truly do this.

Tomorrow he hoped to get an even better reaction out of her.

_Day 3_

The first thing that assaults his senses on the third day was the smell of ramen.

"Hello dobe."

He hears Naruto slurp on some noodles before the obnoxious boy speaks, "why the hell did Sakura-chan come over to my apartment last night crying….she hasn't done that in years."

Sasuke sat back against his white pillows, he didn't know, he didn't think he had done anything to make her cry. "I don't know, Naruto" He hears the dobe slam the cup down and he feels hot water slosh onto his hands so he knows the cup was less then empty.

"Damnit Sasuke-teme don't break her!" and Sasuke clenches his fists, didn't the dobe understand, he was trying so hard not to break her. He was trying so hard to fix all he had broken, he knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he wanted to try, why did everyone have to point out all he had done wrong?

Didn't they know the decisions haunted him at night? Every hateful word spoken to his brother, both his brothers, every time green eyes screamed betrayal, every time Kakashi looked away from him like he was his worst mistake. Didn't they know his dreams where haunted by the lives he'd taken?

Didn't they know, he regretted all he had done in the heat of anger?

"I'm trying."

He knows it's the wrong thing to say the moment the words left his mouth. "Well try harder Teme, she's not as strong as she looks, damn it she loves you, even after you fucking tried to kill her, but she's also so afraid…it's hard teme, I can't imagine being in her place."

"Then tell me, what I can do to make it up to her."

He hears Naruto go still. "Teme, I don't think you can." Naruto frowns, Sakura wasn't twelve, none of them where twelve anymore, they'd all seen war and death and made it out to the other side. They were all different people now.

He knew for a fact, both Sasuke and Sakura had nightmares at night.

"Teme, just give her time, she's not going to forgive you like I did, because frankly you hurt her much deeper then you hurt anyone else."

"Be nice to her, open up to her, stop pushing her away, and have patience, now I know that's not your best skill but you have to learn someday" and Sasuke smirks "I can do that." Naruto frowns "oh and above all else don't thank her."

Sasuke frowns "…why?"

Naruto shrugs "don't know, she just hates being thanked now-a-days, been like that since you left." Sasuke knows, oh he knows.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" Naruto looks up, and smiles "oh hey Sakura-chan, just talking to the teme!" She laughs "why do you never change, you lovely Baka?"

"Because I'm Naruto Uzumaki, that's why." Sakura smiles and shakes her head "well Mrs. Uzumaki is in the nurse's center, and just got off her shift, why don't you go see her?" Naruto perks up "Hina-chan's off work early?"

Sakura nodded "yeah an Anbu team came in about two this morning, all ten members in critical condition, me, Hinata, Ino, Shizune, and Tsunade-sensei managed to patch all but two of them up, but she's exhausted." Naruto frowned "bye teme, bye Sakura-chan" and then Sasuke hears him leave.

The next thing he knows he hears Sakura collapsing into the chair next to his bed. "Are you okay…Sakura?" She sighs and shakes her head "so you noticed huh?"

Sasuke nodded "you're completely out of chakra" she shakes her head "it's more than that, the two we lost…they died under my hands." Sasuke feels his eyes widen in shock "I tried everything, but I'm not god, I can't save everyone, I need to track down their wives."

And Sasuke doesn't need his eyes to see the utter heartbreak that is in her eyes, covering her face. It's all in her voice. And so he rises and wraps his arms around her small form, and it isn't long before she's shaking in his arms.

He runs his hands through pink hair and gently pulls her from the chair and onto the bed, where he wraps his arms tighter around her. "Sasuke, I tried, so hard but I just couldn't do it, they where awake through it all, and oh god, they were smiling, why where they smiling?"

"I have to find their wives, tell them, I can't let anyone else do it" and she starts to fight out of his arms, but he resists and it isn't long before she's clawing and nearly hyperventilating. "Sasuke let me go, let me go, let me go, LET ME GO!"

"Breath Sakura, you have to breath" and slowly but surely the blue retreats from her lips and she stops clawing at his arms. "Sakura, you aren't going anywhere right now, you need to sleep."

She lets out a sob "why, are you helping me."

"Because, you would do the same, have done the same." And she sobs again, before he gently hits a pressure point on her neck. She would be spitting mad when she woke, but she was exhausted right now, and she needs the sleep more.

Gently he pushes himself off of the bed before fumbling with blind hands to pull the blankets up over her. Finally he's sure she's tucked in and he slides into the chair next to the bed and he imagines what she looks like.

And he hoped by the time two weeks are up, he'll be able to see her smiling face.

_Day 4_

Sakura woke up to the bright sunlight. The first thing she realizes is that she is not in her bed, the second is that the whole area smells of Sasuke. She sat up wildly before throwing her gaze all around the room.

She was in Sasuke's hospital room. She was in his bed. She had no clue why. And Sasuke was staring at her from the chair next to the bed, and she almost forgets he can't see her when the intensity of his stare hits her.

And then she remembers.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD, YOU KNOCKED ME OUT!" Sasuke doesn't deny it, instead he just nods "I had to, you where completely exhausted and on the verge on hyperventilating, it was simply the wisest decision."

"OH LIKE IT WAS THE WISEST DECISION TO KNOCK ME OUT, WHEN YOU LEFT FOUR YEARS AGO!"

Sasuke sighs, and pinches the bridge of his nose; honestly she had to bring that up? He knew it would happen someday but did it really have to be so damn soon. How could he tell her that he didn't want to leave her, but at the time it seemed like the best option?

"I didn't mean to."

"OH LIKE HELL YOU DIDN'T, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WHERE DOING!" Again he didn't deny it, because she was right. "What do you want me to say Sakura?"

She wants him to say a lot of things. She wants him to apologize to Kaka-sensei for making him feel like he was at fault, he wants him to finally tell Naruto that he was his brother; she wants him to say that he was wrong for everything. But most of all she wants to know why.

Why did he thank her?

Why did he have to leave her like that?

Why did he never even act like he hears her?

Why did he have to make it so god damn hard to hate him?

Why did she still need him?

WHY? WHY?

"I want you to tell me why?" Sasuke stares at her and tries to imagine what her eyes look like right now. He was sure they were green as ever, and he was sure they were trying to tell him something. And once again he flashed back to the last time he'd seen her and he prayed to god she wasn't looking at him like that.

"Why what?"

"Why the fuck did you thank me, why did you leave me like that, why do you act like you never hear me, why can't I hate you?"

And he doesn't know what to say so he goes with the first thing that crosses his mind.

"I thanked you, because I thought it was the only thing I could say. I left because I had to, or at least I thought I did. I can't understand why you say half you say, so I would rather pretend I don't hear you."

And he hopes he's doing this right, hopes he's saying the right things, hopes he's finally opening up to her. "And as for your final question, I don't know, you should, I've given you every reason to, you should hate me."

And for once, Sakura Haruno is speechless "why are you…I don't understand….Sasuke?"

He smiles, and she's sure she must be dreaming because Sasuke Uchiha never smiled at her. Not her.

"Sasuke are you sick?"

She rises and checks his forehead "no fever" Sasuke smacked her arm away "why the hell do you think I'm sick?" She sighs "because you just smiled, at me of all people, I don't think you've ever smiled at me."

"I'm not sick Sakura…I'm just taking the dobe's advice." Sakura shakes her head in bewilderment. "Seriously, are you sure you're not sick?" Sasuke sighs in amusement. Honestly was it that hard to believe that he knew how to smile, just because he didn't smile often didn't mean he didn't know how.

In fact Sakura was the one who could always make him smile. She just didn't know it.

"Sakura, why don't you tell me about…" he thinks quick "your family?"

Sakura sighs "they…they don't live in Kohana anymore." Sasuke raised his eyebrows "really, why?" She sighs "they wanted me to quite being a shinobi after Madara announced his plans of starting a war. But I wouldn't?"

"So mom and dad they packed up and left, I've tried to contact them but it would appear they want nothing to do with me, until I quite being a Kunoichi, and I won't do that, it's a part of me."

"Anyway, it doesn't matter, as long as there safe and happy that's all that matters."

"It goes for all my family."

And then she's gone. He feels the petals hit his hands. She had used a transportation jutsu. And all he could do was revel in the scent of lilacs and rain that coated his pillow.

He was still smiling at how right it smelt, when the dobe found him hours later.

"I take it, something happened between Sakura-chan and you?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Do you want to tell me what it is?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"Teme, I hope you know your smiling right now?"

Sasuke nodded

_Day 5_

Sasuke sank down in his pillows. He was tired. He hadn't slept at all last night. Nightmares had been tormenting him all night, and dear god, he wanted nothing more to sleep.

"Sasuke."

"Go, away Sakura."

"I can't do that."

Silence.

"Why the fuck not?"

Sakura sank into the chair next to his bed. "Because you took care of me when I was feeling less then great a few days ago, and believe it or not, I'm willing to do the same for you." And he turned to her "go the fuck away Sakura."

"No, now tell me why the nurses say you where screaming all last night?"

He glares through the white bandages. "GO, AWAY SAKURA!" Sakura didn't flinch and instead stared straight at him, he couldn't see her, but she was sure he could feel the weight of her stare. She wanted him to know she wasn't leaving.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" Sakura brushes her pink hair behind her ears, and Sasuke catches the scent of her strawberry shampoo. It smells wonderful and calms his frayed nerves.

"Because, I care about you Sasuke, even though I know I shouldn't."

He doesn't disagree with her, "now please tell me what your nightmares where about?"

"Itachi" he finally says. Sakura nodded she had expected that one. "Naruto" she nodded again, that was to be expected as well. "You."

She didn't expect that one.

"Me, why me?" Sasuke frowns and massages his temples. God it hurt. Sakura sighed and sat down on the bed. "Here let me help you" Gently she placed her hands onto his forehead and channeled chakra into his aching head.

Slowly but surely the aching dissipated and Sasuke sighed in relief. "Were did you learn to do that?" Sakura laughed quietly. "Please, I've had my share of hangovers before" Sasuke turned his gaze to her "don't give me that look, medics we grow up fast."

"It happens when life and death is in your hands."

Sasuke admits he understood. But it didn't mean he liked it.

"Besides, does it really matter, we both know you're not hung-over your head just hurts and I fixed the problem." She bit her thumb nail "Now please tell me why I'm part of your nightmares."

Sasuke sighed "I can't" she stared at him "why not, why can't you tell me?" she glared at him "why the fuck can't you tell me, Sasuke it obviously involves me."

"BECAUSE I KEPT KILLING YOU, OVER AND OVER AND IT KEPT FUCKING REPEATING!"

Sakura sat back "oh" Sasuke glared "yeah, oh."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, I'll leave."

She started to stand, but his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Stay" and so she sits back down and says the first thing that she can think of to distract him. "So this one time while you were gone me, Naruto, and Sai headed out to the Kohana River because it was really hot….."

Sasuke smiled.

'_Sakura you really are something.'_

_Day 6_

Sakura yawned. And tried to sit up only to realize she couldn't. Something warm and totally not unpleasant was snaked around her waist. Now Sakura didn't panic much anymore, but she thought this situation was worth some panicking.

And that was why she was preparing a nice huge burst of air, to let out a spectacular scream, when a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Sakura don't you dare scream."

Sakura sighs in relief before more panic flows through her system. "Sasuke did we-" Sasuke shook his head his dark unruly spiked hair tickling her cheeks. Cheeks that she was sure were blushing like crazy. Sakura sighed in relief.

"Well at least I'm still a virgin."

Sasuke blinked unseeing eyes at her before debating with himself to glare, or question how the hell she made it through the required seduction missions all female Anbu took (unless they were truly ghastly, Sasuke knew Sakura wasn't) without giving up her virginity.

She laughed. "You're wondering how I did it aren't you?" he nodded, "well it's quite simple really, controlled seduction."

"Controlled seduction?" he questioned warily, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to hear this one.

"Yup, it's really quite simple; seriously you males lost out when you didn't get to go to the Kunoichi lessons with us girls." Sasuke remembered that, while the boys trained in the academy they always separated the females and took them away.

"I always thought they took you to go flower picking."

Sakura laughed. "Trust me we went flower picking, but we didn't pick them for pleasure, we learned how to make poisons" Sakura rolled over and Sasuke was forced to relinquish some of the hold he had one her. "You see you males you always had it easy."

Sakura traced a hand up over her arm where small scars darted across the skin " Being a Kunoichi, the first thing they teach you is that life is hard, that there are times you are going to have to use your body. Expose more skin then you'd like sometimes. Do things that make you men quake in your sandals."

"The first thing they taught us was that sex was just sex."

Sakura laughed and it took on a slightly bitter edge that Sasuke didn't like. "Quite the thing to say to five and six year olds."

"Most Kunoichi went along with it, thinking that it's okay to just give up something like that." Sasuke sighed this whole conversation was making him uncomfortable.

"But there are always a few who don't like the rules, and so we were also taught the art of seduction, how to sit down right, how to shift your shoulders to fling down the corner of your shirt, how to flip our hair."

"I'm sure a lot of people think that we Kunoichi give it up to all our targets, and a sad truth is a lot of us do, but I never have, I know how to make a man weak at the knees without doing a single jutsu."

She turns to him and Sasuke feels the weight of her stare "but my virginity is not something that I want to give up for nothing." He can almost see her smiling. "And so I haven't, I've completed sixty four seduction missions and I'm still a virgin."

"It's nothing against you of course" Sakura stares up at the ceiling pink locks spread out in crazy disarray "I just want my first time to be really special, with someone I really love."

And Sasuke blinks and speaks through the lump in his throat "don't you love me?"

Sakura blinks "I don't know anymore, it's hard to love someone you don't know anymore."

She's quite for a moment "I don't think I ever truly knew you."

"Are you willing to get to know me, Sakura?"

"Yes."

And then he kisses her.

And it's awkward and he's not sure what he's doing, but she doesn't seem to know any more than he does, and it's okay, and it's wonderful and electrifying. Nerves alight with new sensations. Fingers exploring strands of pink and black. It's innocent and dark, trusting and unsure, beautiful and ugly all at once.

It overwhelms them, it shakes them, and it could break them, but he hopes when he hears her moan in pleasure that it unites them.

But things aren't always simple and Sakura backed away.

He's confused for a moment, did he do something wrong? But then he feels the drops of salt hitting his hands "I'm sorry Sasuke, I can't, I'm sorry" and he understands in a sickening sort of way, she was scared, and was running.

It was funny how different they where, but they still ran when they were afraid.

And the sad thing was that he let her go. He didn't cling to her instead he forces his face to remain neutral. And he pictures her as she stands. She is smoothing down her shirt and her skirt. Probably running her fingers through her unruly hair.

She's probably beautiful in a heart breaking way, and for the first time in a very long time, Sasuke has to fight to stay quiet, he knew Sakura needed this time to think and sort things out, but he had never fought so hard to not grab her back.

It was never this hard before, to know someone was walking away from him, and he wondered was this how she felt all those years ago?

He hoped not, because it hurts.

_Day 7_

No Sakura.

_Day 8 _

"Teme why you so pissed off- "

Hey do not throw that at me TEME!-"

Heavy breathing.

"Where the fuck did you get a shuriken from your in the hospital-"

"TEME, OKAY I'M LEAVING, I'M LEAVING!"

_Day 9_

"Uchiha what did you do?" Sasuke stares at the blonde haired women that he can tell is tapping her foot. He thinks about questioning her weight just as he had Sakura to test her reaction, but knows Tsunade was much more temperamental then Sakura was. That was a statement in its self.

She's also the hokage, and can sentence him to death for all he's done against her village. Hell have no fury like a women scorned, he knows this well.

"I've done a lot of things."

He feels the weight of her anger in the glare that his eyes can't see.

"What did you do that has her so pissed off that she requests to leave the village for seven days?" Sasuke tensed. "She said she needed to clear her head, and she thought she would try and visit her family again, she said she wanted to be free for a few days."

She taps her foot again and Sasuke doesn't know what stuns him more, the fact that Sakura left, or the fact her mentor was glaring at him asking him for the reason why she left. Karma really was a bitch.

"So I repeat what the fuck did you do that made Sakura want to leave to clear her head?"

Sasuke sighs and rubs his temples oh god, she was going to explode worse than Sakura when he told her, but if he didn't then she would explode worse. Either way the hokage was close to cracking and he decided that he better just tell her, what was the worst that could happen?

Right bad question.

"I kissed her."

The room cools but Tsunade doesn't explode instead she sighs. "Sasuke" Not Uchiha he notes. "I really hope you know what boundaries you crossed by kissing her right?" Sasuke nodded, he felt it shift in that moment when their lips met.

"Good then I hope you know that you're going to have to deal with a lot of questions when she returns."

Sasuke nodded.

"If she's anything like me, she's going to be confused, and she's probably going to cry, and she's probably going to punch you again. Hard."

Sasuke winced, but nodded again.

"Sasuke, I hope you know your team is not mine, yours is still whole and can be mended, Naruto's done the first of the mending, but you and Sakura, you have to do the rest."

He hears her heals retreating but suddenly they stop and he's sure she's right at the doorway "I wish you both the best of luck."

And Sasuke had never liked the blonde women from the moment she woke him from a coma but he decides that he didn't have to like her, he respected her.

Day 10

Sakura would be home soon, and he hoped she had found the answers she was looking for.

Day 11

Sasuke blinked and shook his head at the hokage "No, Sakura will heal my eyes no one else." He can almost picture the blonde's jaw tightening "why are you so insistent on her healing them? We both know she's less then pleased with you right now, and the sooner your sights returned the better."

"Because I trust her."

Tsunade doesn't know if she should laugh or just shake the damned boy by his shoulders.

"Uchiha you do know what you just said correct?" He nodded "Uchiha, you really are making this hard on yourself."

"I'm just as capable as Sakura I taught her almost all she knows, why can't I heal them for you so you can get out of this hospital and continue onto the joys of house arrest, why can't you just let me heal them."

And then it strikes her. "You're trying to fix her aren't you?" He nods and Tsunade smiles. "Good luck Uchiha."

_Day 12 _

She would be back soon.

_Day 13 - Day 14_

It's midnight, and he's staring at the moon again.

He's about to turn away from the sight and try to sleep again but something stops him. Sasuke may have not seen the battlefield in weeks, days, but he's not weak by any means and he senses the chakra she's not bothering to suppress.

It tells him, she wants him to know she's coming.

She appears in the door way muddy and smelling of the forest, but It can't mask lilacs and clean rain water. "Sasuke." He hears the choking emotion and frowns, he was supposed to fix her not break her.

And suddenly she's at his side and he feels salt wet the sheets. "I understand." And he feels his heart well up at the thought, could she really. She cups his cheek in her hands "Sasuke, it's not your job to fix me."

"But none the less you did a fine job."

And he smiles, not a smirk but a gentle smile, and he pulls her down into the bed next to him. She protests saying she's dirty, but he doesn't care, yes she smells wild but it didn't take away the scent of the equally wild lilacs, and the tame and placid rain water.

And the scent is spicy and sweet and so Sakura.

She turns into his chest "Sasuke your eyes I could heal them now?" It's his choice and honestly he knows they can wait, he can smell her, taste her, hear her with him and that's all he needed. "No it can wait till morning."

"Rest Sakura" she yawns gently and curls into him "okay" she yawns again and he pulls the blanket up to surround them both in cottony warmth. "Goodnight Sakura." She sighs and Sasuke can smell the night air on her breath. "Goodnight Sasuke-kun."

He smiles, and dreams of fields of lilacs, of clean summer showers, of a beautiful pink haired women, of pink haired onyx eyed girls, and black haired green eyed boys.

_**-&END&-**_

A/n can't say much about this one except I don't like it. It's simply not my best work. But you all tell me what you think?

Peace out and may the force be with you,

Abby


	13. Shatter

Sakura remembers what it's like to not be shattered.

She remembers summer days when they were together and everything was perfect. Missions where frequent and easy (well maybe not back then, but looking back she sometimes wished to be chasing cats again, you don't kill chasing cats) she didn't understand why her sensei was always so damned late.

She remembers how loud Naruto was and how she just wanted him to LEAVE. (She can't imagine life without her brother now) she remembers how she yelled at him too much and hit him and beat him. (She hates herself for it)

She remembers when Sasuke was here and although he was quite and always rejecting her he was there and there was always the promise of a new day. She remembers when her biggest dream was to be his wife and her biggest worry was that her hair didn't look right.

But most of all she remembers not being shattered.

It was there when she was with her brother and her sensei and Sasuke. It was before full moons haunted her dreams. It was before she felt so damn weak. It was before he left. It was before Naruto left. It was before she changed for the better. It was before she saw things from other people's eyes.

It was before she had to grow up.

But Sakura wasn't twelve anymore. Her world was darker and more real than the one she had imagined back then.

That's what crossed her mind as she bent over three bodies, her face stony except for the broken bits of salt that streaked down, while her hands glowed and breathed life into broken bodies that mirrored her own heart. And for one cynical moment she realized she may damn well deserve this.

She may damn well deserve this because she still wasn't strong enough to stop death from reaching those she loved. She wasn't strong enough to keep life in blue orbs, to keep Kakashi from seeing the past in the future, and the final from falling to far into the darkness.

But she could feel three hearts beating. She could hear labored breathing. She could taste blood and grime on her lips. She was still alive, and she would be damned if these three stupid, breakable, males weren't as alive as she was when she was done.

She was would not let them die. This was her strength, while she could break she could also heal and fix, this is what she thinks as she heals a particular nasty cut on Kakashi's scalp, she was a woman in every sense of the word.

She was emotional and violent, she loved and wore her heart on her sleeves most days, she could be broken perhaps a little too easily, she sometimes couldn't see her own worth, she cried a lot more than people thought she did.

But she had steel in her bones. She could break things, and carry a katana with pride. She remembered but didn't get caught in the past. She loved and healed because others couldn't, she was proud of her accomplishments without becoming arrogant. She did what she had to do, and she did it right.

She made lots of mistakes but she tried to get better every time, she was a shinobi but a woman first.

She looked over at Naruto; he was the one with the least amount of injuries due to the fox's chakra and its help, he was almost completely healed although he would be unconscious for some time. She gently shifted Kakashi so she could reach the deep gash on his back before healing it.

She checked her chakra levels and was worried with their state, she was almost empty, the best thing she could do now was perform a large scale transportation jutsu to get them to the medical tents, the only problem was that it would deplete her tanks to a level that would render her unconscious.

She had already removed the poison so….

She glanced between the three males, they were stable but barely and wouldn't survive much longer in these war time conditions, just because Madara was dead didn't mean the battle grounds where safe and free of enemies.

So she shifted the three closer together did the hand signs and leaned over the three. Leaving behind cherry and rose petals.

She felt the air rush over them and she closed her eyes praying that she hadn't made a miscalculation.

Needless to say she was relieved when she looked up and saw feet enclosed in scrubs and frantic calls that she knew well.

She rolled off of the three and closed her eyes, she had gotten them where they needed to be and that was all that mattered.

-&…..&-

Sakura opened her eyes to the afternoon light and loud birds. That was the first thing that assaulted her senses; the second was the bright yellow of Naruto's hair. Gently she shifted him hoping not to wake him, she was successful and she stood.

She gently placed her hands over him and checked that he was in good enough condition, before continuing onto the other two; both where sleeping peacefully and in good health, they where healing well.

Sasuke was still so beautiful that it took her breath away.

Kakashi was still mysterious and she entertained the idea of pulling his mask down.

Naruto was still bright and if he was awake would be just as loud.

They were safe and whole and that made her so happy.

However she was still a medic she still had chakra and she couldn't waste time just sitting around no matter how much she wanted to.

She lowered a kiss to all three of the male's cheeks before making her way to the tent flap and pulling it back and stepping outside into the early light. Just as she had expected the camp was very much awake and medics where flying from tent to tent.

She quickly made her way towards the main tent, snapped a mask over her face, scrubbed up, snapped gloves onto her hands, and went to find where she could help out the most. She quickly found Shizune working over a man who was heavily bleeding.

"What can I do to help?" Shizune looked up her eyes frantic and black rimmed "nothing, if anything you should be back in the tent resting, and controlling those three, god knows you may be the only one who can."

Sakura frowned, "I have chakra and you're over worked, plus I don't know what's been going on besides the bits and pieces I gathered from other camps I stopped at, Naruto and Kakashi will surely want to know, and I may be an apprentice of the hokage but I can't read Sasuke his rights like you can."

Shizune glanced down at the patient both medics where steadily working on and pierced her lips. "You know he was very worried about you when he awoke and saw you weren't awake and fussing over everyone, a matter of fact they all were."

Sakura doubted Sasuke was.

Sakura looked down and concentrated on reconstructing the man's major arteries "I lied to his face to try and protect him and he saw through it, how do I face him, especially with what happened afterwards?"

Shizune smiled "Sakura, he forgives you and he understands. Why you are so hard on yourself, we all know why you did it so why can't you move on?"

Sakura didn't know. She had no clue why she could never forgive herself for her mistakes. "Look Shizune you're almost out of chakra and you look dead on your feet go sit with them for awhile and when they wake up come find me okay?"

Shizune nodded. "Fine Sakura just be careful, you took some hits as well, don't get me wrong you dodged the majority of the jutsu's in the fight along with the taijutsu but you where still hit, just don't push yourself to far."

Sakura nodded "see you later Shizune" Shizune nodded wiped her sweaty forehead and tore the scrubs, mask, and gloves from her body.

No sooner than Shizune left was a stretcher rushed in, Sai bruised and beaten and bloody on it. She pushed down any personal feelings that could cloud her vision (there was plenty) and instead started barking out orders, before setting to work on him.

He had a broken arm and foot, a punctured lung, a ruptured spleen and was just a bloody black and blue mess.

It was a miracle he was still alive.

Five hours of surgery later Sakura sunk down against the far wall and brushed the loose strands of hair away from her face. She was exhausted, around the second hour she'd finally gotten Sai stable and had requested he be moved to her teams tent, only to have a whole squad rushed in, all of them in critical condition.

They were all stable, but she had forgotten how much she detested such cases.

Wearily she pushed herself to her feet, she should stay to supervise but honestly she didn't need to, this wasn't the hospital where she helped train and hired the medics, these where fully trained experienced veterans and she honestly didn't need to babysit them.

So with that in mind she sent a final glance around, made sure she wasn't needed anywhere, and headed out into the cool evening, it wasn't quite night yet and the sun was setting its final bloody rays across the ground.

It almost made her forget they were in a war.

"AND THEN-"

She smiled at the loud shouts coming from the tent in front of her and she pulled back the flap and stepped inside to see Shizune almost pulling her hair out, she laughed "I'm here to relieve you of babysitting duty."

Shizune looked up at her smiled before doing a double take "Sakura, bed now" Sakura sighed "seriously Shizune, I'm fine there was a few nasty cases after you left but I handled it." Shizune gave her a warning glance.

"Sakura, I let you take that shift because I knew you would go stir crazy without helping out."

"However, that doesn't mean you can just ignore the fact that your where injured too" Sakura only raised an eyebrow and moved to stand across from Shizune her arms crossed "really?" Shizune stared at her for a moment before throwing her arms up into the air "you're becoming more like Tsunade-sama every day."

Sakura smiled "that's not a bad thing."

Shizune only shook her head "how where things when you left." Sakura uncrossed her arms "let's see, we had a few head injuries that require observation, um the squad that came back in is stable and expected to be back on their feet in about a week to a half, I just finished twenty-four surgeries" she gave a half smile "compared to normally it was pretty tame."

Shizune nodded and smiled "good, you really are ready to take over the hospital when we get home aren't you" Sakura nodded and Shizune smiled down at the shorter girl "I trust you can handle these four?"

Sakura nodded.

Shizune gave a wave and a goodbye, before leaving Sakura in the tent alone with her four teammates, or rather three teammates and one angry glaring former teammate.

"SO SAKURA- CHAN WHY DID THEY BRING SAI-TEME IN HUH?"

Sakura sighed and made her way past the other three cots before stopping at the last and bending down to check on said painter. Gently she brushed his bangs away from his face before sending tentative strands throughout his body to check for any injury that she hadn't noticed in the chaos. She was pleased to find none.

Gently she made her way over to her own cot and sat down on its edge, before slipping the bloody scrubs off "he came in a bloody mess, I managed to fix him up, but it's still unclear when our dear emotionally retarded friend will wake up."

"But Teme here is already awake?" Sakura snorted and resisted the urge to bend over in a full out laughing spree. "Yeah, but I believe our dear Sai-kun is a little more emotionally retarded, as hard as it may be to believe."

Three laughed, one glared, and one slept.

She removed her gloves and face mask, pulled the ponytail out of her hair and shook the shoulder length locks out, and stripped herself of her very bloody scrubs. When she was finally stripped back down to her fighting kimono, she stood and walked to stand in front of the three awake members of her team.

If Sai was not awake from Naruto then she would be just fine. She took a deep breath….

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THREE THINK YOU WHERE DOING?" three pairs of eyes blinked at her before she stomped her foot and glared at them.

"Damnit Naruto, what the fuck where you thinking jumping in front of my opponent like that? Kakashi, really, really I thought you'd be smarter than these two dimwits and realize I was trying to lull him into a false sense of security, but no you just can't let that happen could you?"

She then turned to glare at Sasuke, who was currently handcuffed and sealed to the bed. "What the fuck do you think you were doing? For Christ's sake you where bent on killing everyone about a month ago, so really what does it matter if that dude was going to get me?"

She paced back and forth between the beds "all you three succeeded in doing was getting yourselves injured and leave me to clean up your messes, if your to fucking damn protective to even let me take on that wimp then you three are hopeless."

With an aggravated sigh she plopped herself down onto her bed and began to kneed her forehead "I'd ask you all to leave but, Sai is still unconscious, Naruto and Kakashi are on bed rest, and if you even move from your beds so help me I'll have sensei strip you of your ranks and you know she'll do it."

Her lips twitched "and Sasuke can't move for obvious reasons, so I'm stuck with you" with that said she gently started to braid her hair out of her face but quickly got frustrated with it and just left it alone, sighing she turned to the three males.

"So what where you guys doing before you decided to play hero?"

"Reading of course."

Sakura smacked her forehead. "Yes because war is such a great time to catch up on your porn." Kakashi nodded.

"Yes it is."

"You're hopeless."

"WELL Sakura-chan, I was beating those bad guys asses and helping Hinata-chan of course, but then one of my clones told me that bastard was coming at you and you weren't prepared so I came to help you."

"So you left Hinata to come to my rescue, you left your girlfriend, really Naruto really?"

Naruto nodded "don't get me started on how wrong that is, bro."

"How about you Uchiha."

Sasuke glared at her "Hn" Sakura watched his glare with her own "that's not an answer" Sasuke glared harder "what's your problem?" Sasuke activated the Sharingan but Sakura wouldn't back down "my problem is that I'm sealed to a bed, because you just couldn't leave me there and leave me be."

"Really Sasuke really you want to play that card on me? So I'll enlighten you on what would have happened had I left you there as you so put it, the poison that was in your system would have eaten away at your organs."

" First the stomach, then the intestines then the lungs, it would move steadily throughout your body, but unlike most poison it would not render you unconscious, you would be awake through your last bloody seconds."

She raised a hand in the air "any questions on why Sasuke is an idiot?" No one said a thing; even Sasuke was silent not coming to his own defenses. "Good. Now let's review on why I did the right thing on healing you and not leaving you to die in your own fucking blood."

"A) I'm fucking pissed at you and can't wait to see the punishment Sensei thinks up. B) Believe it or not I am bound by my own word as a medic to not throw away any life I can save, and yeah your life may still hold some value in my eyes. And C) in respect of Itachi it is best I don't let his little brother die when I can save him."

Three stares met her emerald eyes. That set her off even more. "Really you don't think I know?" She glared at Kakashi and Naruto. "Do you two forget I can read you like an open book, I know when your, lying to me and trust me you've done it on more than one occasion."

"You forget that through my four years of training the one thing that was on my mind was to protect Naruto because he's all I have left." Kakashi looked hurt for a moment "Don't give me that look Kaka-sensei you know as well as I do that you ignored me after the boys left, you only became interested when news spread that I was advancing at a speed unheard of."

"You forget the thing that kept me going when every bone in my arms and legs were shattered was the dream that I could have _my_ team whole again, that _my_ Team seven could be whole, and that we would _never_ be the Sannin, we could not have the same destiny, I wouldn't allow it."

"You also forget how my Sensei is; you forget that I often help out with paperwork because I know how stressed Tsunade-sensei gets. You forget I file all mission reports. You forget subsequently that I can see past missions, including ANBU missions. You forget how sometimes I'm too curious for my own good."

"You forget that I always wondered what changed because I can remember the way the Uchiha brothers interacted. You forget that I am naturally clumsy and around three in the morning in my second year of training under Tsunade-sensei I tripped and knocked a filing cabinet over spilling the contents all over the floor, Naruto you know this because I wrote to you about how much of an idiot I was."

"You forget that I have a wondering eye, so yeah I read something that probably should never have been seen by my eyes, and I knew before all of you, I know what happened that night, I know why Uchiha, Itachi killed the clan, and yeah I know every last detail, details that I bet even you don't know Sasuke."

"So Naruto, Kakashi, if you meant to hide this from me you failed, and only damaged the trust I held in you."

Finally Kakashi spoke. "We feared you would take it into your own hands and kill the elders yourself."

Sakura laughed. "Do you honestly think I would stoop that low? I'll admit I entertained the idea in the middle of the night when the full moon haunted me." Sasuke flinched; he was still human enough to understand that at least. "When I couldn't sleep, but there's something that stopped me every time, something even the most skilled of shinobi forget."

"Violence can never be a solution of peace, violence spreads distrust, distrust breeds more violence, and then from this violence we get such cases as Sasuke, because of the violence he witnessed he sought revenge, and that revenge would start the whole cycle over again."

I'm not stupid, although I did hope Tsunade would stumble across the file, I even placed it back in the filing cabinet she most frequented, but I'm not stupid enough to think I could, or even should go up against the elders."

"It weighed on my conscious terribly but you know what if I was to go against the elders then I would upset the already turbulent balance and peace Kohana has right now, and honestly that would go against what Itachi fought for, and what was best for my home, my Kohana."

She was met with incredulous stares and silence until a weak voice finally broke it up. "Ugly I believe that was the_ 'telling off'_ you were trying to explain to me a while ago, I get it now, you yell and state facts."

Sakura laughed and grinned before making her way over to Sai's bed and sat down on the edge before swinging her legs up onto the mattress and proceeded to sit criss-cross-applesauce at the foot. "So Sai you're the only one I like right now, and can bear talking to."

She flicked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Soooo, I need something to distract me, so can I see your sketchbook?" Sai nodded and fished the notebook out and handed it to Sakura, who flipped through the pages, every now and again asking Sai for titles and for prints of his work…..

Three males sat silent watching the only female, lost in thought.

-&…..&-

Sasuke watched Sakura toss and turn in her to big cot, or she was too small because the cots where all the same size and everyone else including himself could barely stay on their cots. He had wiggled his wrists free and had broken the seal hours ago, and he entertained the idea of waking her up.

But honestly he doubted that would end well.

Sakura was pissed at him that much he could tell, and he couldn't say he didn't deserve his anger.

Something in Sakura's words earlier had made him see what he was doing wrong. He was fighting against his home; it was the way Sakura described them as her team with so much possession that finally snapped him out of it.

For the first time in a long while he was looking at things without a tint of read.

Madara was dead. And he'd also lied to Sasuke, making the feeling of being used and lied to his entire life feel even more prominent. Sakura however had brought up a very good point it was a dangerous course he was traveling.

And if he continued he would die.

Sasuke was dark and partially insane (he could even see his actions were not ones formed in the right mind set.) but he could see the truth in her words.

Sakura was smart he would give her that.

However it would appear that she was not immune to nightmares and things that went bump in the night, whatever this nightmare was about it was something terrible or scarring, there was no other explanation for the way she was rolling back and forth keening and whining in alarm.

He flicked on his Sharingan when he realized that more was being uttered from her mouth, "I'm too weak." She rolled over eyes flickering behind pale eyelids a faint whimper breaking through her tightly sealed lips, along with the drops of red, red blood that flowed from the wound.

She'd bitten through her lip. He didn't know if he should be worried or slightly surprised she was not full on screaming by now.

Is eyes followed the low whispers that escaped from her cherry lips. "Damn it, I'm so useless…..Naruto….Tsunade-sensei….Sasuke….Sai….Kaka-sensei….don't….i'm sorry I can't….I just….." she stopped for a moment "I know I'm worthless and useless, and too damn weak and broken, but just don't please…"

She sat up so fast Sasuke had trouble following her movements "DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME!"

And with that said she collapsed into herself rolling into a ball, she pulled the blanket up around herself until nothing but a small patch of pink turned a muted purple in the moonlight remained in sight.

He would have thought her to have gone back to sleep her nightmare forgotten if he couldn't hear the almost inaudible whimpers and whispers that escaped her throat.

A mantra of insults and how she could not let them die, it was almost sickening how much she thought about this, about them dyeing because she wasn't strong enough to heal them.

It did sicken him, how much he saw himself in her in her one moment of weakness. And it struck him that perhaps she may be just as shattered as he was inside (if not more) and that she may bare more wounds then where originally visible.

It struck him that she could feel just as lied to as he did, because her teammates the ones she trusted with her life lied to her.

It struck him that she could very well break like this into a shattered mess all alone every night. Every single damn night.

And he had always lived, functioned off of goals, besting Itachi, revenge on Itachi, the revival of the Uchiha clan, avenging Itachi, the destruction of Kohana. But know he decided that those goals could be put on a back burner for the time being.

He had a new goal. Pick up every crystallized pieces of Sakura Haruno's heart. Because even the most shattered of things had potential to be fixed with enough, care, time, and glue. And Sasuke was determined that he would never see this fierce woman crumble again.

After all if she could be fixed, when she was fixed, then it was very unbecoming of the Uchiha Matriarch.

Now if only she would agree. Hmmm this might take some time. But hey he had all the time in the world.

-&…END….&-

**Now a little extra for being late on updating this week. **

**Alternant ending. **

Sasuke shook the sobbing girl's shoulders feeling warm flesh through the blanket and the soft flexible silk of her fighting kimono. "Sakura, snap out of it." Said female only stared at him "damn it no Sasuke, I won't I've had it, I've had it."

He stared at her, his fist only tightening around her shoulder.

" Leave me alone, it's not like anyone's ever been around when the nightmares hit before." She turns away from him yanking her shoulder roughly out of his hold. Sasuke thinks it's more of a _'back away from my heart'_ then a _'back away from my physical form.'_

She's broken; he knows that, shattered by her own fears, and self-doubt. Some of it he knows is his fault, he had thought she had never taken the "your weak" and the "your annoying's" to heart but apparently he was wrong because there she stood open and broken and bleeding and he couldn't fix her.

Figuratively or physically.

Her lips to still bled, but he was more concerned with the state of her heart and her mind.

How the hell do the dobe and Kakashi sleep through this? Does this happen every night? Every mission? Or every time she closes her eyes?

"Sakura what…" She looked at him with unblinking red rimmed eyes, which are far too cold. "It's what happens when your left behind constantly, it's what happens when you have to smile knowing someone is hunting your brother down to rip a demon from him."

"It's what happens when the man you used to love tries to kill you." She doesn't love him…. "It's what happens when you constantly can't escape the shadows of _'The Uchiha Survivor' 'The kyuubi host'_ and _'the copy-cat-ninja-Kakashi._"

"It's what happens when you lose your first patient, your own mom, at barely fourteen, I've killed, and I've been almost killed."

She instantly touches the scar that rests on her stomach from taking a hit meant for someone else. "It breaks you, but you know you can't break, because you have to be strong" she lowered her gaze "these nightmares are only one of the manifestations of my own weakness."

He wants to scream at her that she's not weak. He wants to yell and punch her for becoming so jaded, and for losing her innocence. But he is Uchiha, Sasuke he does not yell at her instead he walks away and sits down on his own cot.

He pretends to fall asleep when in reality he listens to the veiled sobs and whimpers all night long.

Because there are something's that can't be fixed, Sakura was one of them.

He bites back the bitter taste in his mouth.

When had things gone so wrong?

Funny, Sasuke thinks, they are just like the Sannin. They are all broken, they can't heal, they are the Sannin, except there brokenness stems much deeper then the originals could ever have.

Time can only heal so much; the rest is up to fate and persistence.

Sasuke thinks his fight for Sakura was over before it ever really began.

**-&….Now the real ending….&-**

**A/N** OMG i am so sorry i had guard stuff all Saturday and Sunday so i couldn't work on this until late Sunday night and then i had to go to bed cause i had school. I promise to try to keep to my schedule from now on. Now this was for day thirteen and the theme was shatter, i realized i haven't written in Sakura's POV in so long that i forgot how easily i can slip into her character!

Anyway tell me what you all think! Thank you for all the kind reviewers and my religious readers who i know read it without them even commenting! (I love you guys you make my day!)

Peace out and may the force be with you,

Abby**  
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	14. Summer

**_Summer….._**

The first time he saw her he was six.

She was clinging to her mother's legs as they made their way through the village square.

"Aniki" Itachi looked down "yes?" Sasuke smiled briefly showing to missing two front teeth, before pointing at the strange pink haired girl "who's that?" Itachi smiled and scooped Sasuke up into his arms "that is Haruno, Sakura she the heir to the Haruno clan."

"Why's her hair pink?" Itachi resisted the urge to role his eyes and instead shifted the six-year olds weight. "Her hairs pink, because that was the way she was born" Sasuke's face scrunched up in thought "does that mean that all her babies will have pink hair too?"

Itachi looked down at Sasuke in exasperation, before smirking slightly "I don't know Sasuke, are you going to find out?"

Sasuke looked appalled, and Itachi chuckled at the way his nose was scrunched up "EWWWWW NOOO!" Itachi chuckled "you won't always feel that way Sasuke."

Sasuke scrunched his face up again "like you and Yuki-chan, cause she's really nice, and you gotta care about her cause you where sucking the poison out of her neck the other day, and saving her life and everything."

Itachi blushed and thanked his lucky stars that Sasuke was still young enough to not understand what was really going on, and also decided he should probably shut his bedroom door from now on.

"Aniki, you were saving her weren't you?"

Itachi hastily nodded, "yes of course Sasuke, I know, why don't you go invite Sakura to your birthday party?"

"YES" Sasuke quickly scrambled out of Itachi's arms before skipping over to the pink-haired female.

When he reached her he planted himself straight in their path and shot out one small hand in an awkward handshake to Sakura's mother before turning to Sakura "Hey you must be Sakura on account of you have pink hair and everything."

"So Sakura, my birthday is coming up soon and it's going to be awesome and everything, and Aniki isn't going on any missions or anything cause he promised, so will you come."

Sakura looked up at her mother who looked as bewildered as she did before turning to Sasuke "Um what's you your name?" Sasuke grinned "my name is Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke."

"Okaa-san?"

Sakura's mother smiled, "of course Sakura-chan, when is it Sasuke-kun?"

"July 24th on account of mom wanting to have it the day after my birthday, so all the stinky old people from the clan can come and pinch by cheeks even though I tell them to stop every year but they never do!"

Sasuke huffed and crossed his arms before walking a few paces and bending down to pick a star lily and handed it to Sakura "Aniki gives these to Yuki-chan so I guess you're supposed to give them to girls" he placed a finger on his chin "I can't remember what it's called though, oh well here you go Sakura."

Sakura smiled and took the flower before tucking it behind her ear "thank you Sasuke-kun, I'll see you later."

Sasuke beamed "I know can Sakura come play with me please Sakura's-okaa-san?" Sakura's mom laughed and nodded "go ahead, I'll come get you around six Sakura?"

Sakura nodded before stepping away from her mother and walking over to stand next to Sasuke, who in turn grabbed her hand and dragged her along behind him racing through the streets wild and laughing the whole way.

Sakura beamed and let the raven-haired male pull her through the streets, it would be a two years before she would enter the academy (much to her grandmother's approval-she was the first Kunoichi in generations, and was proud that her granddaughter would follow in her foot prints).

She didn't have many friends, so it was a welcome surprise to not only find someone who seemed to like her but hadn't said at thing about her forehead. It was also a welcome surprise to escape her dreary home; it hadn't been the same since Otou-san left.

She jerked to a halt in front of a shinobi –she could tell by the kunei pouch- "Aniki Sakura's coming with us, she's my knew bestest friend."

Itachi just shook his head at the two beaming children "very well then, let's head back Sasuke, Sakura" both nodded before breaking out into mischievous grins, well Sasuke did Sakura just smiled brightly because this was new but she could tell it was great.

"LET'S GET HIM!"

And with that Sasuke tackled Itachi dragging Sakura down with them, and landing in a pile of laughing bodies.

**Autumn ….**

Sasuke trudged down the path to the academy, his Aniki beside him.

"Aniki can Sakura-chan come over tonight?" Itachi pierced his lips, the mission date was coming up a week, and the weight of what he must do weighed on his shoulders. He felt very selfish right now denying his brother the right to spend time with a friend however he would like to spend as much time with his family as possible before he must do what must be done.

"Sorry Sasuke not today, maybe tomorrow?" Sasuke's face fell momentarily before breaking out into a full blown grin "that's okay Aniki; I'll just play and train with Sakura-chan during break, like always."

"Sakura-chan is really smart, and really sweet although I think she likes me, which would be really bad cause then she would be like all the other creepy girls, and that would really suck." Sasuke took a brief breath before launching into another round.

"Cause the other girls are really scary and all stalkerish and it would be really suck if Sakura-chan turned into someone like that, like Ino cause she's really freaky."

Itachi chuckled "so you have some fan-girls little brother?" Sasuke nodded and shivered before started to dash up to the entrance calling a hasty goodbye over his shoulders dashing into the classroom he saw Sakura sitting in the back row her red shirt a stark contrast to the boring beige walls.

Plopping down in the seat next to her he opened his bag and pulled out his books before turning to Sakura. "Hey Sakura-chan."

Sakura looked up from her book quickly "huh" before realizing that Sasuke-kun was sitting next to her "oh hey Sasuke-kun what's up?"

"Not much, you wanna play tag at break I won't make you it first and everything."

Sakura seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding "Sure, Sasuke-kun but we have to practice to, I still can't throw the kunei right." Sasuke nodded "okay, so whatcha reading?" Sakura flipped the book shut before showing Sasuke the cover.

"A Kunoichi's guide to the rules of being a Shinobi?" Sasuke glanced curiously at the cover before turning to Sakura "why you reading that?"

"I'm reading it because, I want to be a good Kunoichi to make my grandmother proud of me" 'and because I want to be as strong as you.' "If I don't know the rules then I can't know what not to do and what to do, now can I?"

"You'll be a great Kunoichi" Sakura nodded hesitantly, she didn't quite believe him but at least someone thought she could do this because she wasn't so sure. "Thank you Sasuke-kun" Sasuke beamed "no problem Sakura-chan"

He was about to say something else when the other students came bursting into the class room yipping and chattering loudly. Class started and both students turned their heads to the Iruka. After all they were still tyed for the best marks in the class.

**-&…&-**

"No like this" said Sasuke directing Sakura's hand into the correct position, before instructing her to throw the kunei at the target, It hit off center but it was better than the six previous and she was improving slowly but steadily.

Sakura allowed herself a brief smile before picking up the next kunei and prepared it before flicking her wrist and sending the projectile straight into the center. Sakura beamed before turning to Sasuke and tackling him to the ground.

She landed on top of him before promptly hugging him even tighter to her "thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you thank you." She breathed before lowering her head to his chest "Sasuke-kun I can hear you heart, at least that's what I think I'm hearing."

Sasuke went red, he wasn't used to being this close to Sakura, and if he was red before she laid her head on his chest then he'd reached a new shade by the time she was talking about his heart. "S-Sakura-chan get off of me."

Sakura lifted her head to look down at him. "Why?" Sakura breathed out and Sasuke felt her warm breath dance on his face. "Cause your heavy." Sakura was years away from worrying about her weight but it bothered her that was the only reason he could come up with.

Sakura huffed and rolled over and off of him. "They're happy." Sasuke fought to control his flaming cheeks; he glanced at Sakura out of the corner of his eye. She was laying spread equal wide her legs spread out to form V's her head was tilted back to the sky and it took him a moment to realize what she was doing.

"Are you seriously watching the clouds?"

Sakura nodded slowly before rising to her feet. Smirking she bent down, placed a kiss on his cheek and took off running "YOUR IT!"

Sasuke blushed and scrambled to his feet, quickly following Sakura's laughing figure, speeding up he caught sight of her bent over giggling. He smirked to himself he had her right now sneaking up on her he tapped her shoulder.

"Tag your it."

Sakura shrieked in surprise before racing after Sasuke who was already too far ahead for her liking. Racing ahead she tried to get as close as she could before he got too far ahead again.

It was childish, it was not going to help them with their shinobi carrier, it would not serve to make either stronger, or smarter. However it was allowing them to be children, it was allowing them the freedom of running and running to feel the wind through your hair. It was unpractical but neither would trade it for the world.

For Sasuke it was the last moment like that he would share with Sakura, he would never be able to be so carefree again, he had seen too much, it had aged him, changed him, after all he was an avenger now. Avenging his lost family and vowing to hunt down his brother, their murderer so that perhaps he and his family could rest in peace.

**_Winter…_**

Sakura heard his feet before she saw him.

And when he finally was in her sight, her heart sank, just like she thought. He was leaving Kohana, he was leaving his home, he was leaving their team, he was leaving Kakashi-sensei and Naruto, and he was leaving her.

"Why are you prowling around her in the middle of the night?"

"I knew you'd come this way if you were to leave….So I just waited here."

Sasuke closes his eyes. This was already hard enough, couldn't she understand that he needed to do this. That he couldn't become powerful in Kohana. That Orochimaru could offer him more power then he could ever dream about.

Itachi needed to die so he could have peace and so could the family he lost, his aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers, great-grandmothers, great-grandfathers, his parents, oh god his parents. He was their son, for god's sake.

Turning to his childhood friend he spoke "get out of here, and go back to sleep."

Sakura tensed and he could tell there were tears streaming from her eyes without looking, and for a brief moment he hated himself for it, only to remind himself that this was for the best. Reminded himself of what he lost, and marveled at the way this little girl could shake his nerves in to frayed threads.

"Why won't you say anything to me?" '_It wasn't like this when we where little kids starting at the academy' _"why do you always keep so quiet? You never say a single word to me…"

"I told you, I don't need your help….don't try to look after me"

Sakura doesn't believe him, she can't she remembers before he shut down, before he became so cold, she remembers tag, and kunei practice, she remembers kissing him on the cheek, she remembers holding him at the funeral, as he shook and quaked.

She remembers trying to stay close to him and stop him from pushing her away, she remembers falling in love with who he used to be, she remembers how he started to hate her, she remembers falling in love with him as a person not an idea, she remembers everything and it plays forth in a sick and twisted slideshow.

She forces a small sad smile.

"No matter what, you hate me, don't you….."

Sasuke almost snorted he doubted he could hate her, he hated many things, his brother, at times Naruto, sweets, but never had it crossed his mind to hate Sakura. No he disliked her because she turned into a fan-girl, but he didn't hate her. Not yet anyway.

"You remember, don't you?"

Sasuke remembers a lot of things and for a moment he is lost in memories of a childhood, of games of tag, and hide and seek.

"When we became genins, the day when our three-man team was first decided….The first time we were here by ourselves, you were so mad at me…."

"I don't remember that." But he lies oh he remembers, and he thinks he will till the day he dies.

She laughed lightly and Sasuke realized how broken the sound was. "Yeah, I guess you right…that's all in the past huh?"

It's a rhetorical question he knows, but he still bites back an annoying and a glare.

"That's when it all began though, you and me…"

"Naruto and Kakashi-sensei."

"We did all sorts of missions, just the four of us; it was painful and difficult at times, even with that though…"

"I still enjoyed it." _'I thought you did too….' _

"I know all about your past Sasuke, Even if you get revenge though, it won't bring anyone happiness, not you Sasuke, no me."

Does she think he doesn't know…that this will hurt people? He knows but the rewards are far greater right now for him to worry about that.

"I already know…I'm different from you all…I can't be following the same path as you guys."

But he wished he could, oh god he wished he could.

"Up until now, we've done everything as a group. But there is something else…I must do…"

Sakura thinks he's trying to convince himself when he utters the last words in a mutter, and it gives her hope, perhaps she could save him, perhaps they could be happy, perhaps he could be happy, perhaps Sasuke wasn't too far gone, maybe she was strong enough finally to do something useful.

"Deep inside my heart, I've already decided on revenge…for that reason only, do I live…"

And Sakura thinks that is dumbest thing that has ever come out of his mouth, there is so much more too life then death, and revenge.

"I'll never be like you, or Naruto."

Sakura sobs loudly and brokenly, and if Sasuke wasn't so sure seeing her face would make him stay then he would have turned around and hugged her, but he couldn't falter in his resolve, this had to be done and he would do it, he had a goal and it would be completed. Whether they liked it or not.

"To me…..To me I would be just as alone as you…"

And as much as he wants to disagree with her, it's all in her voice, her tear choked voice.

"From here on out….we all begin new paths…."

Sasuke hoped she used this to start a new path for herself, one that would lead to her being the Kunoichi she dreamed of, he hoped she became strong, hoped she didn't hate him for this, hoped that someday she could forgive him.

Sakura clutched her hand to her heart, it hurt so terribly bad, and it made her cry harder and she decides that it's now or never if she doesn't tell him now then she may never, it would kill her if he left (but he won't she told herself) without knowing how much she loves him, how much he means to her.

"I…ILOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!"

Sasuke's eyes widen, he'd had girls throw themselves at him, tell him that they like liked him, but not one of them had told him they loved him. But Sakura just did, and he can tell that she wasn't lying no one could lie with that much feeling.

And suddenly he's so angry with her, was she trying to make this harder on him? Did she think she could truly change his mind?

"If you were to stay with me…there would be no regrets….because every day we'd do something fun, we'd be happy I swear!"

"I'll even help you with your revenge…I don't know what I could do…but, I'll try my best to do something!"

She took a long shuddering breath "or take me with you if you can't stay here…just please stay with me."

Sakura sobs, and Sasuke finds the idea to be a tantalizing one to take Sakura with him? But sound was no place for a little pink-haired girl who was just starting to develop steel in her bones. It wasn't a place for him either, but he needed to go, Sakura didn't, Sakura could live happily here in her home.

So even if he wanted to, even if he found the idea to be tempting he still had some mercy and he would save her from this.

"You really are annoying."

Maybe she is, but she can't bring herself to worry about that, couldn't bring herself to even contemplate that thought when the one she loved was leaving home, leaving her. And she's desperate now.

"DON'T LEAVE!"

"IF YOU DO I'LL SCREAM!"

She feels the air rush past her and suddenly she's not staring at his back and she can feel him behind her "Sakura" and she feels hot breath against her neck, her pulse races and her palms sweat.

"Thank you, for everything."

And that's the last thing she remembers.

_**Spring**….._

Sakura shifted her weight from foot to foot as she trudged towards Kohana.

She and her team where the last to return to Kohana after the end of the war and the end of Madara Uchiha. However she was quite unhappy with whom she was carrying "Kaka-sensei can't I carry Sai I don't want to carry _him_, I really don't feel comfortable with this…"

She trailed off when she felt the glare on the back of her neck raising her hackles she glared at the packed dirt; she couldn't get home soon enough. "No Sakura you can't for the billionth time, we need you to carry him."

She knew she was whining but this was ridiculous "but you haven't explained why, the only difference between us is that I've been pissed and cautious the whole way while you've been your normal self if not a little tired, which reminds me, are you still having nightmares?"

Kakashi snorted "Sakura, language" Sakura glared at him before launching into a bout of profanity that would make Tsunade and a seasoned sailor proud. Kakashi just shook his head "where did you learn to talk like tha-oh right, yeah, never mind."

"But seriously why do I have to carry him, I would gladly carry our dear emotionally constipated friend and you could have this one?"

Kakashi sighed "Sakura the fact is that I'm already carrying Sai, now I know you'd rather carry Sai, however it's safer for you to carry him because you're so on guard, and frankly I don't want to carry him."

Sasuke glared at his former teammate and sensei who were conversing back and forth, did they really have to talk about him like he wasn't here? It was bad enough he was being dragged back to the village, he may not wish to destroy it anymore, but he felt no warm fuzzy feelings at the mention of Kohana.

"So what's the first thing you're going to do when you get back?"

Sakura sighed "drag this bastards sorry ass up to Tsunade-sensei's office so she can send for the necessary professionals, I healed everything, so they could get straight to the interrogation, then I'll probably head over to the hospital, their bound to be over flooded."

"Which means lots of OR work and trying not to pull my hair out at some of the medics." Kakashi laughed "ah yes you and those new recruits don't get along very well do you?" Sakura grumbled "that doesn't even describe it, I'm honestly starting to believe there hopeless cases and ready to fire their asses."

Kakashi chuckled "weren't you in charge of everything because of your status of head medic?"

Sakura sighed and shock her head "I was at a point, however because I'm a field medic I was required on the battlefield, so I still have the title of head medic, but all my paperwork and responsibilities have been handed off until the war was over and I can return."

She shook her head "however the medic I trusted to take over, hired some more medics, which by the way where truly unneeded Kohana only has four field medics and one is the hokage."

"So the last time my team rotated back to the village, I went to work to find the hospital in a terrible state, patients weren't being healed correctly, people were healing minor wounds while letting people bleed out on the operating table, it was a mess."

"Out of seventy-two of them I had to fire sixty-two, the last ten I worked with and tried to train them the best I could before I was rotated out again." Sakura tightened her hold on Sasuke's leg's "if I come back to find my hospital in shambles again then there will be hell to pay."

Sakura shook her head her petal pink hair tickling his cheeks, Sasuke didn't like how right it felt to be able to smell the strawberry shampoo (where she got strawberry shampoo he had no clue) and to have the wind sending her shoulder length hair flying around her and tickling his face.

Suddenly Kakashi burst out laughing.

Sakura glanced at him "do I want to know?" Kakashi chuckled again before speaking "oh I just thought of something, me and you are on Anbu level, while Naruto and Sasuke are still genin, looks like they have some cat chasing to do while me and you do all the fun stuff."

Sakura chuckled "you know Kaka-sensei I think that just made my day, thank you."

"Now who's going to tell Naruto, that after helping to end a war he's back to chasing cats?"

Sakura smirked "I'm not going to tell him" her smirk faded to a strained smile "things have been…tense to say the least without me adding any more reason's for him to resent me."

"Hn, you two worked fine together on the battlefield."

Sakura almost laughed at the jealously that simple statement contained, he was the one that left and it wasn't her fault that her and Naruto worked so well together, again he wasn't here to participate, so he can reap none of the rewards.

"He speaks, of course we work well together, and we've had years to work together, to collaborate our techniques, to learn where each other's blind spots are and to cover them, you weren't here Sasuke so you can't reap the hard work me and Naruto put in to be able to work so seamlessly together."

"But things are very tense between the two of us right now."

Kakashi glanced at her "you know he doesn't blame you right Sakura? He knows what you thought had to be done, he knows that you only wanted to protect him."

Sakura clenched her eyes shut "you don't understand I lied to his face. I told him I love him in the way he's wanted for so many years, I tried to get him to give up on the "promise of a life time" but he wouldn't budge."

"Was I wrong to try and protect him, to try and do what he's done for me so many times before?"

Kakashi sighed "stop over analyzing it Sakura, hell even Kiba has forgiven you for knocking him out."

Sakura shook her head "in any case I know I did the wrong thing, I'll just have to find a way to make it up to him, maybe help set him and Hinata up on a date…"

Sakura sighed "well at least were less than five hours away from the village, we'll be home soon, thank the kami."

**-&…&-**

Sakura stood in front of her sensei her mouth dropped open in shock.

"EXCUSE ME YOU WHAT?" Tsunade stared at the tired female. "Sakura, I said that your going to have to watch the Uchiha, it's your mission."

Sakura glared "Why though, there are plenty of other anbu, hell Sai would be a better fit then me, plus you know both of us would be amused by that situation." Both chuckled deeply identical smirks on their faces, Sasuke looked over at the hokage's dark-haired assistant with a questioning stare.

Shizune just waved it off "don't worry there always like this, there to similar to each other for their own good."

Finally both quieted down.

"Sakura let me ask you this, why is it that your home is open to all the boys on your team, however the one boy you fought so hard to get back, isn't allowed?"

Sakura glared "my home is open to them any day at anytime of the day, because my boys are my life and I would do anything for them, hell I would die for them, just like they would for me, I love them with all my heart."

Tsunade laced her fingers together "So wasn't Sasuke a part of your team once, didn't you love him once."

Sakura glared "He tried to kill me" she hissed Tsunade simply stared at her "Didn't you try to kill him as well?"

Sakura glared "For his own good, he tried to kill me in cold blood." Tsunade sighed. Was this what it would have been like if Orochimaru returned home with Jiraiya?

"And you of all people should know better than to use love against me, love is my motivation, it can't be used against me, and yeah maybe I did love him once I truly did love him, but he tried to kill everything that means the world to me."

Finally Tsunade sighed "you don't trust him, I understand Sakura I would have been the same way if Orochimaru ever decided to return home" Sasuke snorted, it wasn't like he'd had much of a choice, injured and poisoned after Madara's downfall.

"However you and Naruto fought far too hard to get this bastard back to just give up" Tsunade smiled at her student "besides wasn't it you that said that everyone deserves a second chance in life, So why are you denying Sasuke his?"

Sakura sighed and sank into a chair in defeat "fine fine, you win Sensei he can move in tonight, just give me a while to go home and clean a bit, it's really a mess I come home and literally drop dead on the couch."

Tsunade nodded "which reminds me Sakura what are you going to do about those medics that Kimiyoki hired I understand you fired most of them leaving ten who you tried to train yourself, what is your final decision on them?"

Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her hastily braided hair "honestly they've improved greatly and the hospital was running as best I could expect it to be with you, me, and Shizune out of the village for such a long period of time. Are they our level, hell no, but their sufficient and work very well with the patients."

"And with a little more training honestly they could become great."

Tsunade rubbed her chin "I'll give you another two weeks but Sakura you really need to make a decision, also your ass is not to set foot in the hospital for a good week or you'll be taking D-ranked missions for a good solid month"

Sakura thought about protesting but just nodded "Hai, if that's all I really want to get home, it seems like it's been so long."

Tsunade nodded, she knew the feeling.

"Go Sakura and take the damned Uchiha with you." Said Tsunade with a wave of a hand.

Sakura grabbed Sasuke by the arm and pulled him out the large double doors leading into her master office stopping outside the doors she did a set of hand signs before launching onto his arm just in time for him to be transported with her.

They popped into existence in Sakura's living room and in a scene that Sasuke compared to a war zone.

Cloths were strewn everywhere. Some items that made Sasuke want to blush scarlet, and picture some things he shouldn't, did she really wear that much lace?

Glancing at his former teammate who was gathering cloths into her arms, he decided he better not think about it too hard, he may need to look her straight in the eyes.

"Sasuke stop glaring at my underwear" Sasuke immediately snapped his eyes away from the red and black lace object lying in the center of her floor, and instead turned to Sakura "where can I sleep?" Sakura sighed and deposited her arm full of cloths onto the couch.

"Come on Sasuke, you might as well get comfy, who knows how long sensei will have you living with me."

Sakura led him down the sort hallway and stopped at a plain door, opening it she stepped inside and flicked on the lights. Sasuke was surprised by the lack of pink and red. The walls were painted a light green color that reminded him of the sea foam, there was a bed against the far wall, a dresser, a closet, and a large window that opened up to a fantastic view of the hokage monument.

He would have preferred the walls to be a navy blue or black but he decided that it was tolerable and he could grow to like it.

Sasuke threw his bag on the bed before turning to Sakura who was about to leave the room, so he could unpack or at least that's what he presumed "Sakura who is Sai?"

Sakura laughed "give me a minute Sasuke I'll be right back and then I guess I'll explain, since you two are bound to meet up, while he's conscious this time."

Sakura quickly hurried into her own room before undoing her braid and changing into a pair of black boxers and a shirt that Naruto had left one of the times he had stayed the night before padding back to Sasuke's room finding him in the same place she had left him she sat down on the bed.

She patted the spot next to her on the bed and Sasuke sat almost hesitantly. "After Naruto came back from training we were sent on a mission to Suna to help retrieve Gaara –the Kazakage- from the Akatsuki."

She glared at him.

"I don't care that you were trying to undo that cursed organization from the inside like your brother, they've been hunting Naruto for years, and it pisses me off so much that you even thought of joining them. "

Sakura sighed "anyway we managed to get him back, although the one tails had already been removed, lady Chiyo was able to bring him back from the dead at the cost of her own life, actually I wouldn't be alive today if it was not for her."

Sasuke glanced at her sharply "I was run through my Sasori of the red sand" Sakura pulled up her shirt to reveal the long scar that traveled the length of abdomen, gently letting the fabric fall back down she returned to her story.

"However Kakashi-sensei had overused the Sharingan, and we were to be sent out on a mission to investigate some information I had received from Sasori for being able to kill him, but we did not have a team leader or a fourth member to our team."

"Yamoto became our team leader and our third teammate was Sai, me and Naruto hated him at first, he called us horrible names and was so rude, I nearly killed him right then and there." She said shaking her head "it wasn't until we were halfway to the Tenshi bridge that we found out why Sai was the way he was."

"Sai was a part of root a branch of the anbu that were completely loyal to Danzo and no one else. Root has a terrible practice however; it makes its members forget their emotions until they can feel nothing."

"Anyway I'll skip ahead, because really you don't want to hear the whole thing and I'm too tired to tell the whole thing, we encountered Orochimaru and Sai left with him, leaving me and Naruto more pissed than ever before."

Sakura sighed and ran her hands through her short hair "I'm sure you remember what happened at the base, so I don't need to describe it to you?" Sasuke nodded "anyway after the mission ended Sai requested to stay with team Kakashi, to learn more about bonds, he wanted to know how we still had a bond with a traitor."

"After that wherever we went Sai came along, he still struggles with emotion, but despite that he's one of my best friends and he's fiercely protective of me and Naruto, that's why he doesn't like you at all, he thinks you'll hurt us again, and you have done nothing to prove to him that you won't."

The or to me, hangs suspended in the air with what seemed like steel chains.

Finally Sakura yawned and stood "I'm going to bed, night Sasuke."

Sasuke watched her stand and make her way towards the door, when she was just about to leave he sighed and spoke.

"Goodnight Sakura."

Sakura smiles and Sasuke smirks, and both think it could be the start of a new and better chapter of their lives.

_**Summer...**_

"I still can't believe this is how you train."

Sakura and Naruto both glared at Sasuke "seriously Sasuke-kun let it go, it improves our stamina and it's fun not all training is about mindless fighting, now I wanna be it first."

Both Sasuke and Naruto shook their heads at her. She was nineteen now, but sometimes she acted half her age.

When they reached training ground three Sakura let them have a five second head start before she started to follow her teammates trail, she wasn't the best tracker but she was good enough to tell that Sasuke was the closest.

Speeding up she masked her chakra and jumped up into the trees. Seeing him running beneath her she quickly jumped to the next branch and when he was directly beneath her she jumped down on him tackling him to the ground.

Sasuke panted as he stared up at Sakura who was smiling like the cat who ate the canary, and suddenly he's over whelmed by the need to kiss her, to kiss this beautiful creature who was so strong and so pretty, and who had always been there.

And he's struck by how much this scene resembles the one from their childhood. But Sakura's not going to make the first move this time and so he pushes himself up and he kisses her.

And both think it's the best thing that has happened in a long time, because time came full circle, and it's pure bliss until-

"WHAT THE FUCK SAKURA-CHAN, SASUKE-TEME I LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR ONE MINUTE AND YOU START MAKING OUT!"

"Naruto…"

Naruto was gone in a poof of smoke.

Both smirked before launching back into where they had left off.


	15. Rumor

He is in a tea shop, when he first hears the rumors.

"You say the Godaime's apprentice?"

"Yes yes, her!"

"She is quite the beauty, isn't she?"

Sasuke looked around. Why were they talking about his former teammate? He soon located the gossipers and shook his head; of course they were two middle-aged women (although their chakra was one of a Kunoichi) both eating dango and drinking what he assumed was hot chocolate.

He scoffed, lowly gossipers, still why were they talking about her?

"An excellent sempai and shinobi as well, it's sad she's dying, Kohana is losing a great asset and one that could be used to help protect it while it is rebuilding."

Sasuke's back went rigid. Sakura an excellent shinobi? She ad undoubtedly improved, it was a given, but the one women, her chakra was of at least a chunnin if not higher…which would mean that if she was calling his former teammate sempai, that she was higher ranking then this woman.

Then there was the second part of the statement that made his blood run cold.

Which was something that worried him.

He hadn't the energy to hate Kohana anymore. But after the war's end, he hadn't wanted to return either, under the pretense there was nothing there for him anymore, he was content, well not content, but rather resigned to the life of a wanderer.

His teammates had not come into his mind in the year since then.

But now dare he say he was worried for his former teammate.

He was worried for Sakura, and that in its self worried him.

"She's dying really? I hadn't heard that."

"It's true!"

It almost sickened him, would have if he had been anyone but himself, the way they talked about Sakura's life as if it was nothing.

"From what I heard she was sent on a mission, however there were some complications, and she ended up in a fight with a rogue shinobi, she ended up killing him, however not before he could slash her side open."

Sasuke for a moment almost felt sick, with the notion that he was sitting here drinking tea while, if what these woman say is true, Sakura was dying.

"But that's impossible! Sakura-san is a amazing medic, a wound like that wouldn't faze her, I've seen her in action during the war, she healed things that shouldn't have been healable with just a flick of her wrist before she was on to the next one."

Sasuke watched the two women out of the corner of his eye, so Sakura really could do that? He hadn't encountered her during the war like he had encountered Kakashi and Naruto.

He had assumed that after their final encounter where they had both tried to kill each other that she had gone back to Kohana and had not participated in the war, he had certainly crossed paths at least once with everyone in his year at least once, well everyone but her.

But he also had always been aware of her strong dislike for being left behind, and should have taken that into account.

It would appear she fought after all.

"That's true her skills as a medic are admirable however medics aren't gods and Sakura could do nothing with no chakra. From what I heard the blade was poisoned which means that she couldn't heal it without removing the poison, but again she couldn't do that without chakra."

Sasuke would have scoffed had it been any less serious; however the flames of anger did kindle within the dark depths of his heart. Was she that careless? She had people that cared about her, Naruto, her friends, the hokage, her parents.

They would die inside if she was gone.

He didn't pursue the path that perhaps her death could affect him as well.

"She bandaged the wound up the best she could and stopped the blood flow however she couldn't stop the poison, not without a sample to make an antidote; she barely made it back to Kohana standing, had she been anyone but herself she would have probably died on the trip home."

Sasuke heard this with a sick sort of fascination, so she couldn't make an antidote, because she had no chakra, the real question though was what had truly gone down on that mission; Sasuke very well knew she could have been on an assassination mission gone wrong.

"That's terrible! She'll be a great loss to the shinobi world."

"I know, hopefully her legacy will proceed her."

"Legacy, ah yes you must be referring to the advances in medicine she's made."

"No, I mean the people she's leaving behind. The former Godaime, the current hokage, her friends _the Kohana eleven_, her family."

"Ah yes this will be quite heartbreaking for them won't it?"

"I doubt Hokage-sama will handle it well, he's very protective of his friends and this will kill him."

"What did he call her before?"

"He called her his sister."

"Why is he so over-protective of his friends, I never quite understood?"

"Have you ever heard of Team Seven?"

"Ah yes wasn't that hokage-sama's genin team?"

"Yes it was their fourth member….he deflected and it broke both Sakura-san and Uzumaki-san, it shattered them, they've never fully recovered from it, that's why they both are so protective of their friends, they refuse to lose anyone else."

"That truly is a pity."

"Yes it truly is."

Sasuke slammed his fist down on the table causing the tea to spill all over the table, but he payed that no mind. He slammed his due amount down on the table before storming past the two women who erupted in a new chorus of whispers; he sent them a final glare before storming out of the building.

He needed out of there suddenly it had become hard to breath and he needed out.

Without realizing it, almost instinctually, he set course for Kohana.

**-&…..&-**

"Sasuke Uchiha, S-ranked missing-nin, killer of Orochimaru, Itachi Uchiha, helped to defeat Madara Uchiha, killed Deidori of Akatsuki, also member of Akatsuki for a short time, wanted in almost every shinobi nation."

Sasuke stared Naruto in the face, as his many crimes were read to him.

Immediately after stepping foot into Kohana he had been captured by the ANBU and brought to the hokage's tower where he had found Naruto bent over a pile of paperwork eating a bowl of ramen with his free hand.

The ANBU had cleared his throat to get Naruto's attention and Naruto had looked up, his mouthing falling open to reveal half chewed noodles. Naruto had however quickly recovered and ordered the ANBU out of the room.

This brought him to the current moment.

"Uchiha, Sasuke , how do you plead?"

Sasuke breathed out closed his eyes and spoke "guilty."

"Do you wish to return to Kohana?"

Sasuke breathed in and out slowly "Yes."

Naruto grinned "your chakra will be sealed off and anbu will be tailing you everywhere you go, your trial will be in two weeks time and further punishment will be decided there, for the meantime you are allowed to wander the village but at the slightest mistake you will be thrown into jail."

"In addition you will have community service" Sasuke nodded given the circumstances the punishment was quite lax and he wasn't about to argue. With that said Naruto beamed and stood before wrapping his arms around Sasuke in a tight hug.

"It's good to have you back teme."

Sasuke stiffened but didn't move away "Hn, dobe" Naruto beamed before doing a seal and slamming his hand down on Sasuke's neck, Sasuke fell to his knees and glared up at Naruto who shrugged his shoulders and grinned sheepishly.

"Would you have let me seal it off otherwise?"

Sasuke frowned, no he doubted he would have but still the Dobe could have at least warned him.

Naruto stepped back still grinning and Sasuke stood.

Sasuke turned towards Naruto who had gone back behind his desk "Naruto" Naruto looked up "Sakura were-I heard…"

Suddenly the doors banged open and Sasuke stared in shock.

Wasn't she supposed to be….

"Naruto what the fuck is this I hear about Sasuke the whole village is buzzing, Ino-pig nearly broke down my door."

"Sakura-chan what are you doing here you should be at your apartment resting?"

Sasuke stared at her, she looked tired and he could see the bandages that wrapped all the way around her stomach when she flailed her arms around but she was very much alive and very much safe, and he was very much confused.

"Sakura."

Sakura slowly turned around her eyes wide. The next thing he knew was Sakura's fist. Sasuke stumbled back into the wall holding his jaw. Damn that hurt.

Sakura glared at him "What the fuck Sasuke, you disappear for a year and then all of the sudden you just come back, you fucking bastard I'LL KILL YOU!"

Naruto was behind her in an instant holding her back while Sakura lunged foreword "Sakura-chan no you'll pull the stitches" Sakura growled "damn it, Naruto let go I don't want to hurt you but if I have to I will."

Naruto only tightened his hold on her "Sakura-chan what is punching him going to solve, it's not going to make you feel better? You're going to pull your stitches and then you'll be off of missions and out of the hospital that much longer."

Sakura glared but none the less stopped struggling. "Naruto don't tell me your just going to accept him back like nothing happened, he tried to kill us multiple times, Naruto if one thin g had gone different we might be dead"

Naruto sighed "Sakura-chan-" Sasuke sneered "don't forget you tried to kill me too."

Sakura had no response instead she lurched herself out of Naruto's hold and stormed out of the office.

Naruto sighed "well that could have gone better."

Sasuke stared "she was supposed to be dying."

Naruto's head snapped towards him "what did you say?" Sasuke sighed "the two women, they said she was dying."

Naruto sighed and slid down the wall "she was."

Sasuke paced back and forth "then please tell me why she was just in here completely alive and punching me in the face."

Naruto's lips quirked up at the sides "hurts like a bitch doesn't it? She's alive because of the amazing medics that she works with, it was touch and go for awhile but she is very much alive."

Naruto turned his head towards "Teme did you come back because you were worried about Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke sighed and looked out the window "maybe."

**-&…..&-**

Sasuke realizes after not seeing her for two months that she's avoiding him.

And it's by pure luck that they meet in the streets.

Or perhaps not because the full moon reminds him of one particular night and perhaps it's fate they meet like this but he can't be sure.

"Sakura."

She spins around and he catches sight of the shocked look in her eyes. So she had been avoiding him.

"Sasuke."

"Why are you prowling around her in the middle of the night?"

Sakura laughs and throws her arms up in the air "of course you'd say that, I'm heading home Sasuke, you don't need to knock me out."

Sasuke says nothing and instead lengthens his strides to match hers they walk in utter silence for a time until finally Sasuke speaks "Sakura do you hate me?"

Sakura is quite for a moment "no….I don't hate you."

"Hn then stop avoiding me."

Sakura pauses before continuing to walk "I'm not avoiding you."

"Sakura."

And suddenly she spins around and Sasuke is caught by how vulnerable she looks "damn it Sasuke, this is hard."

"What is?"

"Forgiving you!"

Sasuke sighs "Sakura."

"What Sasuke what! your making this hard on both of us."

"Do you know how hard this is on me Sasuke? DO YOU? Because this kills me, okay I can't forgive you this is hard so freaking hard!"

Sasuke growled "Sakura what 'is so hard'?"

"Getting over you, forgiving you!"

Sasuke is quiet.

"Damn it I had told myself that you were never coming back, that I was better off forgetting about you, but then here you are and you shouldn't be doing this to me! You just shouldn't! I shouldn't be able to care anymore!"

Sasuke has always acted on whims so it really isn't surprising when he chooses to act on another one and draws her into his chest.

And Sakura had always loved the idea of him holding her but this is too much and so she fights and she struggles before finally giving up and collapsing into his arms and Sasuke holds her as she cries in the silent streets.

And he stares down at the pink hair and he thinks that perhaps he can understand were she's coming from even a little bit, and perhaps he finally see's that actions have reactions and consequences, and perhaps then he realizes that maybe he might just need her.

"Sakura….I'm sorry."

And Sakura laughs through the tears.

"I'm sorry."

And when she falls asleep in his arms he finds himself smiling down at her peaceful face.

Perhaps he cared about her a little more then he originally planned but he decides as he lays her down gently that it's okay.

And perhaps it's meant to be.

**-&…..&-**

It's 4:32 on sunday but i got a chapter out this week! i was so sure i wasn't going to finish this but finish it! YES well i'm tired and it's bed time for me so...

peace out and may the force be with you

Abby


	16. Warmth

The first thing that registered in her mind was the warmth that was pressed up against her and nearly covering her whole body.

The second was her splitting headache and the fact that she really needed to pee.

But she was so warm….

So instead of escaping she snuggled deeper into what was covering her and was shocked to find something stiff. And warm and very, very inviting.

It was only when she felt the deep rumble of laughter that she realized something was wrong and bolted up.

And nearly screamed when she saw who was laying next to her in all his naked glory.

Well okay she assumed he was naked, his lower half was covered up with a blanket, so she wasn't completely sure. That was also when she realized she was not in her bed of light blue blankets, she was lying in a nest of black and navy sheets and blankets and this was very unfamiliar territory.

"Where am I?"

To this there was a familiar chuckle –her favorite sound coming from him in a different situation – he then glanced up at her "you were asleep and moments ago were snuggled into my side, which I liked Sakura, so can you please have your mental breakdown at a different time?"

"No why would I have a reason to have a mental breakdown? I've only woken up in an unfamiliar bed with a splitting headache, and no clue how I got here, no I guess there really is no reason for me to have a mental breakdown."

Sasuke huffed a breath of air, of course when she put it like that it had some inkling of sense.

But…

"Your point is?"

"Why am I not at home in my bed, Sasuke, why am I in bed with you."

Sasuke's brows wrinkled. She really was loud, to loud for this early in the morning, it was barely seven and she was creating such a racket that he was regretting even waking up.

"Sasuke, I'm waiting for an answer here, please explain before I feel the need to start using you as a punching bag!"

Sasuke winced, really her and her damned strength, ever since he came back and was beaten within a inch of his life by her – not that he was in the best shape in the first place – he was wary of her fists, he had been on the receiving end of them far too frequently to not be.

"Sakura, your being quite anno-"

He stopped when he saw the chakra slowly gathering in her hands and gave a sigh of surrender. "You were in no condition to return home alone."

There he said it now if only she wouldn't question anything…

"Pray tell why I was in no condition to return home?"

"Hn we took it to far sparring yesterday and were both exhausted."

Sakura sat up straight she still didn't remember things quite clearly but she remember enough to know that yes he wasn't lying and that she should really check the both of them over. "Sasuke lay back down" he looked at her with raised eyebrows, hadn't he told her to do that only moments ago.

But none the less he did what was asked of him and Sakura flung the blankets off him, causing a sharp hiss to escape through his lips, it wasn't really that cold yet it was barely autumn but the cold air still stung.

Sakura ran her hands over his exposed chest, there was some minor bruising along his arms, but that seemed to the only injuries. It was only when she was sure he wasn't hurt that she realized she was staring at the unblemished chest of the boy – man – she sort of – kind of still loved – but she wasn't going to tell him that.

And then she realized she was blushing.

She cleared her throat that was suddenly very parched and spoke "there's only some minor external bruises and there not enough for me to waste chakra on." With that said she caste her eyes over her own body.

And nearly died of blushing when she realized she was in only her black bra and chest binding along with her skin tight spandex shorts, needless to say she felt very exposed and very uncomfortable – and then there were the varying sceneries that were running through her mind about how she could use this that left her mouth dry once again.

She needed to get out of here – the air was suddenly stifling and her mouth was still very dry – and the images running through her head were very tempting – and she just needed to get out of here before she acted on one, and ended the tentative friendship her and Sasuke had.

Standing from the bed she glanced at Sasuke from the corner of her eyes trying very hard to not get ideas from how he was laying "Sasuke who won?"

Sasuke huffed "unfortunately for me Sakura, you did."

Sakura nodded, and did a set of hand signs.

"Sakura don't you dare-"

But he was too late Sakura was gone and in her place were hundreds of white and pink petals. Of course she knew he hated cleaning. He sighed and was grateful for her distraction though, really it would have been no good if she had noticed the disturbance in his boxer shorts.

He sighed again and got out of bed, he needed a cold shower.

**-&…&-**

It was awkward between them for some weeks before during another intense training session Sasuke finally broke down and kissed her.

Neither could stop the sudden warmth that bubbled up from deep down in their stomachs and seemed to warm them from the inside out.

**END**

A/N this was very hard for me to write and I struggled with it forever. Believe it or not everything but the last section was completed before thanksgiving but then I had a huge term paper and I got side tracked and never got around to writing it.

I know terrible excuses but i do believe i'm not failing anything now so that's a plus.

Peace out and may the force be with you,  
>Abby<p> 


	17. I believe In You

Sakura sighed.

Really she was must be the most irrational person to ever grace the earth's surface.

He didn't know her. And she didn't know him. She didn't believe they ever really had. There had always been friction and too much something – to this day she couldn't say what it was – between them. Naruto could be his friend, she could not.

It was an unspoken law that was only breached because of necessity.

She sighed again and wiped the blood on to her pants. There was more where that came from and she was beginning to understand why Tsunade was so scared of blood. So much blood and death, it was frightening.

They were still recovering and it had been seven months since the war ended.

Calling it a night she walked through the deserted hallways and unlocked her office. She quickly changed out of the scrubs and into the green pajama pants she kept in her office with the matching top. Swiping her pink tresses up into a loose ponytail she sunk into her chair before glaring at the paperwork.

She understood why Tsunade hated paperwork so much now. Not only was it stressful and downright annoying, it also took away time that could be used for doing something else that was more productive. Plus after working all day she wanted to sleep not sit up and do the equivalent of homework.

Sighing she walked over to the window and sat down below it, she could work later the full moon was distracting her once again as it had for years now. She hated the moon how it could just go on when she couldn't.

Not all her problems were her fault. Her fear, even hatred of being left behind stemmed from the way her boys didn't seem to have qualms about leaving her to wallow in their shadows. She didn't want to wallow in their shadows anymore.

She wasn't wallowing in their shadows anymore.

She would call it magic – the way she couldn't work on nights when the full moon was out – if she still believed in magic and wishing on stars. She hadn't believed in that since Sasuke left all those years ago and her wishes for her team went unheard and unfulfilled.

Sasuke, he was like a disease.

She must have seen something in him though even if she couldn't remember what. She didn't believe –no she knew she must have seen something that made her love him. She had never been one to love just for the fancy of loving someone.

She had to have loved him for a reason, back then before it all went wrong.

It was on nights like this that she was always looking off towards the village gates. She laughed she was so stupid, so, so, stupid. Only an idiot could still hope the way she did after what had happened. After all this time – after all he'd done – she still believed in him.

That's what it all boiled down to. She believed in him. Irrationally and brokenly, but she still believed in him. Not childhood adoration either, it was the simple fact she believed that he wasn't too far gone to the dark to be saved by the light.

If he was, then where would that leave her and Naruto? They'd worked so hard, for so long. Just for the dream that they could be together again.

It was the same thing every time they met. She would have her heart catching in her throat from his beauty. He was so beautiful, heartbreakingly so really, but he was also a disaster that she couldn't afford to be caught up in.

And yet.

On nights like these his face seemed to be ingrained on her retinas even with her eyes closed. His face was everything he was. Cold, beautiful, uncaring, dark, in pain, confused, and so very crazed. With grief and with anger.

She was reminded of sitting in Tsunade's office with Shizune and Tsunade a deck of cards in front of them. They'd played for the hell of it because they needed an escape. She'd lost. The joker must have laughed so hard when he dealt her and Sasuke their cards.

He was alone, and she was in love with the representation of all that she hated in the world.

She sometimes pretended he was dead just to escape for a while. But it never lasted long because she could still feel him. He was like an invisible tether on her heart. She was tied down when all she really wanted was to be free.

But he wasn't dead and she wouldn't – couldn't – pretend he was anymore that wasn't facing the demon that was pretending they weren't there in the first place.

She would have to face the demons someday and the best she could do was to stop believing. Except she couldn't. It wasn't possible. She knew logically her heart wasn't there for any reason but to create and filter blood throughout her body. But love wasn't rational and neither was she. She couldn't stop believing in him.

Nothing was the same anymore, hadn't been for years. He left, and her world stopped and hadn't fully started to spin even now. Nothing was the same she was haunted by love.

She remembered all those fairytale books her mother would read to her. All the movies she'd watch. The devoted girl always got the guy of her dreams, and the bad guys died or were banished from the kingdom.

No one was haunted by ghosts of people who weren't even dead. There was no what if's or could have been. There were no tears except for the villains and the happy tears that were shed by the princess at her dreams coming true.

But her dreams were shattered by war and Sasuke.

There must be something wrong with her, because this wasn't healthy. To love and believe in someone who did nothing but hurt her. She didn't like pain in the least, no civilian or Shinobi alike liked pain. And yet she wouldn't let go even if it was what was best for her.

Because it all boiled down to her believing in him without him giving her a reason to believe in such an unshakable way, it all boiled down to the fact she was in love with him, and her trust, love and belief, seemed to be linked together forever.

She believed in him.

With that in mind she changed into her street cloths. Jumped out her window and headed towards Kohana's highest security prison.

**END**

Not much to say. Except sorry for the wait and spamming you all with Harry Potter stuff and all that. And sorry it was so short but i wanted to be true to exactly what the song said so i didn't flesh it out as much as i could have, maybe i'll come back and fix it later.

Oh and, RIP Severus Snape and may you find what you were looking for. Because I couldn't understand your story at ten but rereading – and falling back into love with – Harry Potter I now understand. So yes I love all those tragic hero's that didn't get recognized in life. Explains my love for Itachi too.

That would be an awesome fic, Severus and Itachi debating. Mmmm I may try that one out. I'm really tired if you can't tell.

Oh and I was listening to Kelly Clarksons's song "beautiful disaster" the live version cause the other one doesn't do the song justice. So yeah I slipped some Beautiful Disaster references in there.

So yeah.  
>Love you lots,<br>Abby


	18. Close

**-&..&-**

**To****put**** (something) in a ****position**** to obstruct an entrance, ****opening,****etc.;****shut.**

**-&..&-**

The first time was a shock, the second surprising, the third was damn frustrating, and the fourth had him restraining himself from giving a very rude hand gesture to the closed door.

Sasuke cursed under his breath when the door promptly slammed shut in his face. He knew he was wanted. Of course the Inn's would know about him – civilian town or not – he should have expected it and headed for a cave – or somewhere less populated.

But he hadn't and now he was stuck outside in the pouring rain.

Again.

Needless to say he was beginning to hate the rain so very much.

_(Rain, rain, go away, come again another day. Rain, Rain, go away – )_

He shakes his head, now was not the time to reminisce about – _pink and blonde, green and blue_ – people and their voices that long ago sang such a childish song, it was so very long ago – those voices weren't even the same anymore.

Nor were the people, they were dead.

He was dead.

Or rather a living body with a nearly dead soul.

He vaguely wonders could they be the same. He has heard war does things that screw with you – leaving scars on your mind and your body, and your very soul.

_(Black eyes, bloodied smile, fading away, and away and away – green shocked, shocked eyes – blue red rimmed eyes –)_

He turned away from the small town and instead headed for the vacant forest flipping sopping wet hair from his face. The area was vaguely mountainous and he was sure there had to be a cave around the area somewhere.

Still, if there wasn't–

He tensed, there was a cave, however the lit fire proved it was occupied – still he would admit it, he was desperate to be out of the rain.

He crept foreword on silent feet ready for anything. Including the skirmish that might occur if he continued on this path, he knew they were shinobi, the question was if they would share peacefully or not.

Stepping foot inside he glanced at the pale, ink-black haired man who merely stared at him.

Sasuke tensed as he saw the man's hands reaching for a nearby scroll all the while smiling a vaguely fake smile, Sasuke grasped his chokuto firmly ready to fight if he needed to.

"Hello, traitor."

Sasuke glared at the man.

"You don't remember me?"

Sasuke arched one eyebrow.

"Should I?"

"Yes, not only have we met, but in essence I replaced you so that _they_could have the right number of teammates again. Now Traitor, I must urge you to leave because – "

There was a loud yawn and a slightly dazed voice came up and out of the gloom "Sai, shut up, you said you would take first watch so I could sleep."

Sasuke turned his eyes to the back of the cave were he could vaguely make out the outline of a body in a sleeping bag. Presumably it was the person that had just told 'Sai' to shut up, the voice sounded female in nature and while he couldn't identify it, it sounded familiar.

Sai turned around briefly and moved slightly so Sasuke couldn't see whoever it was who had just spoken. Perhaps they were injured; however the fact was irrelevant because Sasuke wasn't going to be attacking anyone, he wasn't looking for a fight right now.

"Traitor, I urge you to leave, I do not want to fight, however if you step any closer I will be forced to, due to the fact I will not allow any more harm to befall her."

Sai smiled "and while the world may be less ugly without her in it, she would be missed by our team and our village. I am told that the feeling I get when you came in is anger, however my anger cannot compare to hers I was told she was what is referred to as a _'hot head'_."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose up again, this man was beyond strange.

"Hn."

"I was told that you never speak like that to anyone in a conversation, do not grunt, or 'hn' use proper language. Traitor you do know how to do that correct?"

In the silence they could hear the rustling of heavy fabric before the tell tale sound of footsteps coming closer.

"Sai, please I'm begging you be quiet – "

There was a muttered curse and suddenly Sai was on his feet his arm slung around an obviously female body. Sasuke caught sight of the bloodied bandages and mentally winced, whoever this woman was that wound had to have hurt.

He was about to ponder the varying ways a shinobi could get such a wound when he caught sight of her face.

Sakura. It was Sakura.

She was slumped against Sai her eyes closed tight. Her face was scrunched up in obvious pain, and now that he could see her better he could see that there were various smaller lacerations across her body.

Sai led her to the wall were she slumped down her head lolling to the side. He wondered why she hadn't sensed him – but then again she looked to be exhausted and when he extended his senses he could barely pick up the signature of her chakra.

She was in rough shape.

"Ugly?"

Sakura's head lolled in the general direction of the voice before speaking.

"Yes Sai?"

"Do you have enough chakra yet to heal yourself?"

Sakura shook her head "it will take quite awhile Sai, that battle was exhausting, I barely had enough to heal you completely and to treat the worst of my own injuries before I ended up passing out – "

She gave him a half smile.

"Sorry again about that."

The ink-haired man gave a shrug.

"It was reasonably understandable why you did such. Ugly, do not worry about it."

The girl nodded and snapped her eyes open.

"I'm awake you might as well take a break Sai, I will –"

However whatever she was to say was lost in the next moment when she caught sight of the figure standing off to the side watching the interaction with calculating eyes.

"Get out."

Sasuke raced his eyebrows and gave a pointed look to the torrential downpour that was occurring outside the cave.

"Leave."

Sakura made a move to stand before wavering slightly as Sai reached out to steady her.

"Sasuke I have nothing to say to you as of now, I would like you to leave."

Sasuke glared but none the less complied.

It was only after he was long gone that he realized that he had been – _scared, worried, frightened, petrified _ – slightly concerned when he saw how bad of shape she was in.

Sai had no clue who it was leaving the food and the bandages at the front of the cave for the remainder of the week, but none the less he is grateful.

**-&..&-**

**To grapple; engage in close encounter (often followed by ****with)****: ****We closed with the invaders shortly before sundown.**

**-&..&-**

The next time he sees her she is fighting a losing battle.

So when he steps in and swiftly ends her opponent he is unprepared for her anger.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?"

She taps her foot in anger and frustration, while he merely stares at her.

She's different than a few years ago; her hair is longer pulled up onto the top of her head in the knot of a warrior. Her clothes are different as well, darker more mature. He notices the ANBU tattoo on her exposed arm. He isn't shocked by the changes after all he has changed as well.

"I'm waiting! You just killed my target without giving a moment of thought as to why I hadn't already done just that. The goal was to bring him back alive for interrogation not to behead him."

Sasuke blinks at her, the image of a few years ago – her bloodied form – plays across his retinas and he blinks again before he turns around.

He walks a few paces before he calls over his shoulder.

"He was hurting you."

Then he is gone.

**-&…&-**

**to come together; unite: Her lips closed firmly.**

**-&…&-**

He sees her next a few years later in a shady inn café, just south of Suna.

She looks beat, in more ways than one and is nursing what he can guess is a strong coffee. Both doll like hands wrapped securely around the cup.

This time her hair is down and she is dressed in a dress that resembles that of her – their – gennin days in fact it wouldn't have been distinguishable if not for three facts. The length – it ended just above her knees – the kind of dress – the slit up the leg was absent – and the color.

It's wasn't red; it was purest of blacks.

So Sasuke does the only logical thing he can think of, he orders himself some tea and sits down in the booth across from her.

It takes her a long while to acknowledge his presence and when she does it's with a tired sigh.

"Hello, Sasuke."

She takes another sip of her drink, as she shifts her hair away from her neck the candy-floss strands falling over her shoulder with a soft swish.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you here?"

Sakura looked up at him with a curious glance. Her shamrock eyes studying him like he was some kind of complex equation that she was determined to solve. It was slightly unnerving for Sasuke and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise up.

"I suppose you don't know then."

She takes another sip of her drink, her eyes sad and slightly watering, and Sasuke doesn't wait for her to continue because now he is worried.

"Know what, Sakura?"

"Know that the Kazekage is dead, and that the Hokage and his council have traveled to pay our final respects to Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage."

Sasuke has no time to process this because in the next second Sakura is crying her tears making tiny splashes in the brown liquid she had been drinking moments ago. So Sasuke feeling more than a little awkward reached across the table and patted her shoulders.

Which somehow led to Sakura crying on him in a very intimate position – one that would have people thinking them a couple – but the oddest thing for Sasuke who often shied away from any physical contact?

Was that it felt right to him to have her tucked into his chest, with his chin resting on the crown of her candy-flossed head.

**END**

A/N Long time no see, Huh? I'm back and am going to try and power these things out. I have thirteen left that have to be finished before the 28th when this year's prompts are released.

On a Side note have you guys ever heard of the song "Drops of Jupiter" i haven't heard it in years (the least time i remember hearing it was when i was six on the way home from Disney) but i have recently fallen back in love with it and it was what finally inspired me to finish this one.

Love you lots,

Abby


	19. Runaway

"Not fair Daddy loves him more!"

The little girl dashed through the forest running faster and faster yet. She was sure her absence would be noticed soon, and while she doubted that To-san and Kaa-san would be looking for her while they had her precious _Nii-san,_ if she was missing the Hokage would want her found and found soon.

Normally she liked the fact that her honorary Uncle loved and doted on her so much but today she hated it. She didn't want to be found she wanted to be left alone and she wanted never to go back to that house ever again!

**...**

Meanwhile in said house Sakura Uchiha sang along with the top twenty five songs of the week while she prepared and chopped the vegetables for the stir fry she was making.

"By now you know that, I'd come for you, no one but you. Yes I'd come for you, But only if you told me to, and I'd fight for you, I'd lie its true, Give my life for you, You know I'd always come for you. No matter what gets in my way, as long as there's still life in me, no matter what remember you know I'd always come for you!"

"Hn, can you please stop murdering the cat."

Sakura shrieked before whirling around giggling, mock glaring at the proud man standing in the doorway a smirk dancing across his face.

"Shut up Sasuke Uchiha you have no clue what you're talking about my singing is amazing, you're just jealous that you can't sing as well as me!"

Sasuke chuckled and swept into the room before gathering his wife into his arms and proceeded to waltz her around the room all the while Sakura giggled and hummed along with the radio until the song came to an end and Sakura kissed him on the tip of his nose.

"Hn, and your just jealous of my dancing skills."

Sakura picked up a nearby dish towel and playfully swatted him across the chest before breaking away from his grasp laughing.

"Hn, you're going to regret that."

Sakura looked up in horror at her smirking husband advancing on her a handful of flour in his grasp she shrieked and jumped away just as Sasuke was about to smash the flour into her hair.

"NO I just got clean after your children tried to help me cook!"

"So their my children when they can't cook, but as soon as Itachi pass an exam or Kikyo manages a good chakra filled punch their your children again?"

Sakura giggled and nodded.

"Now Sasuke put the flour down and make yourself useful and come help me."

Sasuke shook his head but none the less sat the flour back in the open bag and walked over to stand next to his wife.

"Hn, what do you need me to do?"

"Can you hand me the bell peppers please?"

Sasuke handed them to her before picking up a cutting board and beginning to cut up the vegetables that his wife had already washed and set out on the counter. He smirked at the amount of Tomato that she had included and shook his head really she knew him to well.

"So how was your day Sasuke?"

"Hn the Dobe is being more annoying than usual whoever thought it was a good idea to put him in a position of power needs to have his head examined."

Sakura shook her head.

"you do realize that includes us to?"

"Hn"

"Kaa-san, To-san?"

"What do you need Tachi-kun?"

"I can't find Kikyo-chan anywhere!"

Their blood froze.

**...**

Kikyo screamed the kunei she'd grabbed from her backpack shaking in her hand.

"Let go of me mister!"

"Hmm now what do we have here? A little girl far away from her home, you should have stayed home Uchiha brat!"

Kikyo looked around ready to dash away but there was no way for escape she was cornered between a large rock and a tree with a gulp she kicked foreword knocking the breath from the man before throwing the kunei in her hand at him. Not waiting to see if or where it struck she turned and ran.

Kikyo heard the man yell out after her but Kikyo didn't hear all she could concentrate on was getting away and how she couldn't get caught! She stumbled over a rock falling to her knees and cried out before stumbling to her feet and beginning to run again.

Behind her she could hear the man following her.

She wanted so badly to turn around and check where her attacker was but she knew from the few lessons her parents had given her that if she did she was as good as dead.

**...**

Sasuke jumped down into the clearing.

It was hard to follow his daughter's chakra signature – she hadn't started the academy yet so her chakra system was small and undeveloped – but all the traces he could find led to this clearing.

From what he could understand from Itachi, he and Kikyo had been fighting about something and his son had told his daughter that she would never be a ninja because she was a girl and that he and Sakura loved him more and after that Kikyo had ran.

Itachi had thought she'd ran to cry in her room and had continued on studying for an exam – his son should have apologized immediately – but when he went to find her later she wasn't there and after searching everywhere he had came to find his parents.

Normally Sasuke wouldn't panic but after checking Naruto and Hinata's house and all the other places his daughter might go and coming up empty handed he was in full out panicky–father mode.

It only doubled when he caught sight of the blood in the clearing.

Following the trail of blood he was lead to another clearing where a Nin wearing a mist headband was advancing on his daughter.

And suddenly he can see her as she was a little bundle with black hair and her mother's eyes wrapped up in a blanket in Sakura's arms, as a little two year old in a little red sundress crying over a melted vanilla ice-cream cone. And he's not panicking anymore he's angry that anyone would – could – hurt her.

And he's not thinking when he jumps down in front of the Nin and deflects the kunei aimed at his baby girls' heart.

"Oh what you Uchiha just flock don't you? Heh your the father of this little bitch, well rest assured I'll take her off your hands – "

And Sasuke growls and kills the man before dropping his Katana and whirling around to his daughter.

"T– t – to-san?"

Sasuke nodded and suddenly the little girl launched herself at him crying.

To-san I'm sorry I'm sorry!"

Sasuke pulls her closer to him scared of how close he came to losing his baby girl.

"Shhh Kikyo – "

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm never going to be a good ninja I could only hurt him, I couldn't do it I could only run! I'm sorry for running away from home! I'm sorry I'm such a screw up, sorry Nii-san's right, sorry I'm such a disappointment!"

And Sasuke swept her up in his arms rocking the tiny five year old "No Kikyo no, you're not! You're amazing and I'm so proud of you."

"Shh Kikyo, you're so talented did you know you're the only female to activate her Sharingan in seven generations even before everyone was . . . Killed? A girl with the Sharingan is so incredibly rare, you're special and amazing and you make me proud every day Kiki."

"You're going to be an amazing ninja and even if aren't there is nothing you can do that will ever change how much I love you."

Feeling his wife's and Son's chakra approaching he quickly advanced into the tree's to meet them half way it was best his son didn't see the gore that awaited in the clearing.

Sakura met them first and immediately began to fuss over the still crying Kikyo While Itachi whispered how sorry he was.

And amongst the terror of almost losing his little girl and the anger that anyone would want to harm his family he realized he would die for Sakura, for his first born Itachi, and for the little girl that in his arms.

He loved his family and if it came to dying for them then so be it. He would protect them.

It was the promise of a life time.

**END**

I'm back! Anyway, the prompt was run away and really i wanted to do something that could happen for Sasuke and Sakura in the future not just focusing on what is happening in the manga with them now. SO yeah Sasuke named his son after his brother and his daughter's name is Kikyo witch means bell-flower. I'm horribly behind and there is now way I'll be able to these all out before this years SasuSaku month starts but i'm going to try, this one only took me from eight last night until three twenty seven this morning. I'm soooo tired but heres another one that i'm pretty sure may rot your teeth. The song Sakura was singing . . . . if you can figure out who sings it i will right you a one-shot!

Abby


	20. Dreams, Nightmare

_He is in a battle field._

_And he is scared._

_He shouldn't be he knows, because he knows it's a terrible dream but he still is._

_He is scared because she is bleeding in front of him and he has no clue what to do. He isn't a medic, he can't sooth the angry red bleeding cut on her chest. He can't fix it and make it better. He's helpless and she's crying and he doesn't know what to._

_He's seen people die on the battle field before. He's seen comrades and enemy's fall. And he'd smirk and call his opponent weak and wouldn't look back. But she wasn't weak! She was strong and a fighter and she was a healer. So why wasn't she trying to fix it, she was a healer they said she could heal anything, so why wasn't she trying to save herself?_

"_Sakura, damn you don't just lie down and die TRY TO SAVE YOURSELF! That's what you preach; you say not to rely on others to save you, do it yourself! So do something don't look at me like that and damn you STOP CRYING!"_

_She sighs and nods before raising a hand to her chest and giving a failed attempt at healing herself._

"_Not working. Just – just leave."_

"_I'm not leaving. Do you need chakra, I have plenty left?"_

_She shakes her head up at him smiling and he finds the sight even more disturbing then the blood and the tears, because she was a fighter and he respected that about her and she was becoming what she once was and he hated it!_

"_No you don't understand. You're not a medic and you don't know what I know, a human can only lose so much blood and stay alive, and while I haven't reached that limit I'm very close. There are also spots that are virtually unhealable without a great deal of skill and chakra."_

"_I have skill not the chakra, and before you ask no your chakra cannot help me, your element is fire and lightening while my element is water. Do you see the problem? Your chakra would be practically poison to my weakened system. In this condition my body couldn't handle your chakra – you would kill me faster than this – " _

_She pointed to the still bleeding wound on her chest._

– _Ever could. So please don't fight me on this because if I'm going to die than I don't want to go angry and fighting someone who isn't even my enemy. At least give me this."_

_So he watches as she bleeds and he holds her hand and he watches knowing he's dreaming and wishing that he could wake himself up._

_And as soon as she screams out in pain for the final time the scene changes._

_And he's standing in front of a wonderfully whole Sakura and he wants to hug and kiss her but he doesn't because the tears are streaming down her face and he still doesn't know what to do._

"_Sakura – " _

"_Just don't Sasuke, don't I'm tired of all you bull crap because you don't love me. You don't! And I can't sit around and wait for you to start loving me, because I have a life too and I'm not content with this anymore."_

"_Sakura don't – " _

"_There you go again trying to tell me what to do! Do you know how irritating I find that? Even on missions you do that! I'm not a baby Sasuke I'm not the little girl from a civilian clan who dreamed of being a ninja anymore. I've grown up and I suggest you do the same."_

"_Sakura I – " _

"_NO I'm done think of this as our last date. Goodbye."_

_And she turns around and walks away her pink hair dancing in the wind._

_The ring that he'd been clutching ever so tightly all night clatters to the ground._

_The scene changes and his throat fills with ash._

_He's running and he recognizes the village gates and the people in front of them and he realizes how relieved he is that they're there and not somewhere in the smoke and ash and rubble that is behind him. He's so relieved that their all safe._

_He skids to a stop and is confused when people flinch away from him but he is still oh so relieved when he catches sight of Sakura standing in the front of the group safe and sound except for a few scrapes on her knuckles._

"_Sakura – "_

"_Don't talk to me you, you MONSTER!"_

_Sasuke backs up slightly as Sakura aims a chakra laced punch at his face._

"_Sakura what do you – ?"_

_She lashes out again trying to wound him this time with a chakra scalpel. _

"_You're a fucking traitor Uchiha you betrayed us! You're a fucking cowardly TRAITOR!"_

_Even long after he captured the word traitor rings in his ears. In a constant loop it's what causes him to break in the end._

"SASUKE-KUN!"

Sasuke shot up in the bed breathing hard, sweat glistening across his bare chest. Sakura's arms are around him and she's franticly checking his head before forcing him to lye back down.

"Your fever spiked Sasuke, you had me scared out of my mind for a while thank the kami that your fever broke. Still for a while you –? What exactly where you dreaming about Sasuke-kun?"

He shakes his head and pulls her back down next to him. It was all a dream like he knew it was. Sakura was laying next to him the ring he gave her on her finger, the village was safe. It was all a dream and he didn't need to worry.

He flicked the lamp off and pulled Sakura closer to his chest. Staring at the pink head nestled against his chest he rubbed his thumb over Sakura's stomach and smiled as he felt a kick against his hand.

"Sakura?"

"Yes Sasuke-kun?"

"Thank you for taking care of me just – thank you."

She smiled.

Your welcome, and Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes?"

Sakura turned over in his arms.

"Go to sleep."

He chuckled.

**A/n technically it's the prompt was dream/nightmare but yeah . .. . .. . . anyway i have to finish these soon cause i have this years prompts to do.**

**Abby**


	21. She was a wreck, but so was he

How could you that was supposed to be passed down!"

Sasuke blinked up from the scroll he was reading before hurriedly dodging the kunei aimed for his head. He liked to believe that she wasn't truly aiming for his head, but his wife was nothing if not careful with everything she did. Including her aim.

Which only left him enough to time to catch the next one that seemed to be aiming for the hand on the scroll possibly to pin it to the leather of her terribly bright green couch?

All in all he wasn't quite sure what he'd did but whatever it was it must have upset Sakura terribly, his wife wasn't always this violent – unless Naruto deserved a thorough your-being-an-idiot training-spar and since her pregnancy had gotten farther along those 'spars' weren't allowed anymore, both future parents agreed on that – so whatever the hell he'd done –

It.  
>Must.<br>Have.  
>Been.<br>Bad.

Realizing Sakura was trying to speak and that she wasn't actively throwing projectiles at his head, he quickly tuned her in.

"– And how could you! I told you how important that blanket was to me, and how it had been my mum's and mine and I wanted our child to have it and DAMN YOU SASUKE!"

Sakura was now actually crying and Sasuke dodged the kunei she'd thrown blindly before realizing his own error.

He and Sakura had set up the nursery about a month and a half ago even though he insisted they still had months. But Sakura had insisted and had taken it upon herself to through some old boxes trying to find something from her childhood along with his own to put in the child's room.

He'd told her she probably wouldn't find anything but she did manage to salvage a few things including a stuffed dinosaur he vaguely remembered and a blanket.

A ratty-tatty lavender blanket with gauzy frayed white butterflies and a Haruno circle. Sakura had immediately gushed over it and had hung it over the side of the crib and Sasuke had looked between her and the blanket completely bewildered. It had looked like it was falling apart at the seams and frankly, lavender and butterflies while a great combo for a girl wasn't such a great choice for a baby boy.

But Sakura had been so happy at finding it at the time he couldn't bring himself to suggest getting rid of it – she'd just been so bubbly all day and seemed to escape from the nearly constant morning sickness that had plagued her more often than not these days.

He couldn't have said anything against a single choice of hers than.

But a few weeks later he'd slipped into the nursery and removed the blanket and thrown it away – somewhere, he couldn't remember where – before replacing it with a blanket that was in much better condition and had a hint less of butterflies though he had kept color because perhaps it would delay her a few days.

But to his surprise weeks passed and he slowly forgot about the switch out.

Until now.

"Sakura I can explain I promise – just please sit down and stop throwing kunei – " he glanced at the random shuriken he'd dodged on instinct that was imbedded in the wall. She wasn't even technically supposed to have them after finding out the first thing Sakura had done was taken herself of the list of active shinobi until after the baby was born.

" – so we can talk."

He hated talking. Would rather be doing anything else actually but for Sakura he would.

Somehow he managed to get Sakura to sit down on the couch still looking rather too emotional but Sakura was always emotional and he would be sleeping on the couch if he didn't talk this through with her.

"Sakura, it was falling apart."

He winced at her screech.

"Yeah well it was part of my childhood and you just tossed it away, like – like garbage what would you do if I tossed all your tomato's away? Hmmm? You'd be pissed, well guess what, that's what I'm going to do!"

Shifting onto her feet she half ran half wobbled like only a pregnant women can into the kitchen where she was holding a half full garbage bag and throwing each and every single tomato into the bag.

She then tied it and was about to stomp on it when he intervened taking the bag away from her silently mourning the perfectly good tomato's.

"stop being so annoying Sakura, your being a royal bitch."

As soon as he spoke he knew that he had just taken his foot and inserted it into his mouth.

"GET OUT YOU BASTARD!"

Her scream was punctuated by a barrage of sharp weapons including his wives favorite sebon - a gift he gave her after hers were stolen from her pack on a mission - that she more often than not dipped in several deadly poisons.

"Sasuke Uchiha get out of this house I can't even look at you right now you - you Piece of SCUM!"

With a frustrated sigh he headed out, leaving Sakura there alone.

* * *

><p><em><strong>3 DAYS LATER…<strong>_

* * *

><p>Sasuke woke up on Naruto's couch with a pounding headache and a blonde shaking him constantly until finally he sat up glaring.<p>

"Sasuke – "

He is instantly more awake when he sees the blondes face.

" – You need to get to the hospital, Tsunade just called me looking for you, she's with Sakura now but you need to get there fast."

Sasuke is instantly up throwing on a shirt and is out the door within minutes.

He reaches the hospital in less than five minutes.

The rest is a blur of bullying nurses until finally he finds his wives room and is met at the door by Tsunade and he can hear Sakura crying inside, and he tries to push by the woman to get inside but Tsunade stays firm and finally he sinks down against the wall and looks up at Tsunade as she starts to speak.

"Sasuke, Sakura's miscarried – "

Nononono. Oh no. Sakura. Nononoo. His little baby boy. Nonononoonoo. . . .

"UCHIHA listen to me!"

Sasuke looks up Tsunade and he thinks that it isn't fair that she can stand in his way so calm while Sakura is inside that room crying and in pain and – oh god he needed to get in there. He needs to see Sakura.

He doesn't realize that he's spoken aloud until Tsunade lays a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm just as shook up as you are Sasuke, but you can't go in there like this – Sakura is in pain and extremely upset – "

Tsunade closes her eyes.

" – You can't go in there and start asking questions – Sakura can't handled that right now – you can't even imagine what she's going through Sasuke."

"He was mine too!"

"I know that Uchiha now calm down you can't go in there like this!"

He nods and takes a shaky breath and pushes himself to his feet, before nodding to Tsunade who gives him one more sad look before stepping out of his way.

Sasuke is first struck by how dark the room is and he winces at the sobs emanating from the hospital bed.

"Sakura."

He hears the sobs again, and despite how afraid – how terrified he was – he makes his way over to the bed and sits down before gathering the crying woman into his arms.

"Shhh it's okay Sakura I'm here now, calm down."

"NO, I'm sorry Sasuke, I'm so sorry."

"Shhh Sakura it's not your fault okay? No one blames you, I don't blame you!"

"Why not? I was supposed to protect him, I was his mom –"

She stops and sobs, and he pulls her closer to him, the next hour is spent trying to calm Sakura down to no avail until finally she passes into an uneasy sleep.

He knows they'll make it through this – he knows that it will end up okay – but it hurts. It doesn't matter anymore about that stupid blanket because they wouldn't need it anymore – the baby was gone and it burnt and ached and he just – he just can't imagine what they're going to do now.

He turns his face to the open window and finally he cries.


	22. Sensitivity

Sakura hears the whispers.

How can she not?

She hears what they say about her and her husband behind her back. She hears the whispers in the street when she's out shopping. She knows the villagers pity her. They doubt her decisions are her own and they think it is a shame.

They would openly scowl at her Husband sometimes and while it hurt her to watch he just took it in stride. But they didn't see what she saw; they didn't see the man who would sit by the cribs of their babies with a katana just because he thought he heard a noise.

They couldn't know about the nightmares that he had. Of all the lives he took of all the blood that was shed, they couldn't know about the PTSD that almost forced him out of the life of a shinobi, they didn't know about the fact that he was, oh so broken.

They couldn't see what she saw a beautiful damaged man who was more than enough for her and one she would do anything for.

They couldn't see what she was seeing right now.

"Daddy, rwead again! Again!"

Sasuke chuckles and opens the book again, brushing back Kikyo's black hair and repositioning himself on the narrow children's bed.

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl named – "

"Belle, Daddy, her name was Belle."

"Right, her name was belle. And Belle's dad loved her very much. So much that when she asks for a rose he picks one out of the garden of a terrible beast – "

"But Daddy, he's not terrible he's sweet and lonely and he loves Belle! Just like you love Mommy! Right Daddy?"

Sasuke nods and continues with the story, all the while Sakura leans in the doorway and watches as her husband dotes on his little girl. She watches as she falls asleep against his chest her black curls haphazardly splayed around her little head.

She watches and she thinks that the villagers are wrong.

She didn't marry him because of some sick sense of obligation, nor out of a childhood crush.

She married him because she loved the man he was, past present, and future. She married him because she could see what they couldn't. Just like Belle and her Beast she could see the diamond beneath the layers of dirt.

She married him because he was himself.

And if the villagers couldn't see the beautiful man she saw than it was their loss.


	23. Birthday

**A/N Do you realize i have like a month to get this done? Oh I'm so screwed . . . on a different note. Please don't just fave this story or alert to it, i really would like to know what you think, because the reason I'm still writing this - besides my obvious stubbornness, the fact that i love to write for these two, and love to write period - is because of the support that I've gotten through reviews and people just telling me that i did a good job. The lyrics that serve as my summary are from the song Waling her Home by Mark Schultz it's an amazing song that i really suggest listening to.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"Sasuke Uchiha you're going to die!"<p>

Sakura huffed before screaming again in pure pain. Never had she felt anything like this before, it felt like her insides were being torn apart, logically she knew what was happening, but it's hard to think logically when you're in so much pain.

Finally after what seemed like days, but what was probably only a few hours a tiny squirming little bundle of blue was placed in Sakura's arms. She smiled breathlessly and swiped her sweat soaked hair from her eyes.

"Happy birthday little one . . . I'm your mom, and I promise I'm going to love you, and I'm going to protect you . . . I'm always gonna be here for you."

The baby gurgled and though she knew it was impossible, she could have sworn her little boy smiled at her.

"Sakura, what's his name?"

She looked over to the door where Shizune and Tsunade were standing, and smiled.

"Arata . . . Arata Uchiha. My beautiful baby boy."

* * *

><p>The second time around when Sakura goes into labor on her birthday Sasuke is there, but a total and utter mess and finally, Tsunade seeing how frustrated Sakura was with the fussing kicked him out of the delivery room.<p>

He is only let back in once Sakura is settled back in the bed; a mass of pink blankets settled in her arms as the baby suckles its first meal.

He sits on the edge of the bed near Sakura's head staring down at this precious thing that he and Sakura had brought into the world.

This time it isn't Sakura who names the child but Sasuke.

"Kikyo . . ."

He murmured and Sakura shifted her eyes off of her baby and onto her husband.

"What?"

Sasuke looked up and Sakura's breathe caught at the look in his eyes.

"Sakura, let's name her Kikyo."

Sakura pauses and runs her fingers over the soft black peach fuzz adorning her daughters head.

"Kikyo Uchiha . . . my chinese bellflower . . ."

She grinned up at Sasuke.

"It's perfect!"

* * *

><p>"Cake!"<p>

Sakura laughed as her daughter dug her little fists into the birthday cake and stuffed handfuls of pink strawberry frosting and vanilla cake into her mouth. Shaking her head she pulled her daughter's chair back and moved the cake out of her reach, grabbing a plate and cutting a slice for her daughter.

"Now Kiki, we need to act like a lady, after all how old are you know?"

"I'm twree, Mamma!"

Sakura laughed and handed her daughter the slice before cutting one for herself and for her seven year old son who despite adamantly denying that he would eat anything other than chocolate cake was practically drooling looking at the cake.

Sitting down at the table she dug into her slice while her two children did the same.

* * *

><p>They stop at a stream about a day's travel from Kohana to wash the blood and the grime of a completed ANBU mission from their bodies.<p>

Sakura is exhausted and because she's the only female on the team she's allowed to bath first, so to say she wasn't prepared for the arm to snake around her waist from behind was an understatement. She shrieked and grabbed for the sebon holding her dripping hair up only to stop when she heard the deep earthy chuckle and relaxed.

"Sasuke Uchiha you total ass, you scared the crap out of me!"

He only chuckled and stepped back so he was facing her before holding out a box.

She smiled softly "and here I was thinking everyone forgot . . . "

"Hn, how could I forget my wives and daughters birthday? Now open it."

She chuckled and opened the box only to have her breathe catch in her throat. Inside on a velvet lining of red was a beautiful golden locket.

"Oh Sasuke . . . thank you so much."

He smirked.

"Open the locket."

She gently pried at the clasps and opened it before smiling. Inside was a picture from last year on her birthday.

Inside captured in suspended animation were her and Kikyo both leaning over thier birthday cake as they blew out the candles on the already demolished cake. Arata and Sasuke lurked in the background wearing identical smirks, Sasuke minus the cake mustache that her son was sporting.

It was one of the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. Her little family caught in such a domestic moment, her beautiful children and her wonderful husband. And to think she used to think she and Sasuke would never make it this far. Suddenly Sakura's aching muscles were forgotten and she launched herself at her husband, kissing him fiercely and yet somehow with an aching gentleness.

Together they made love in the sweet smelling grass next to the river.

* * *

><p>Sasuke is eighty two when he says goodbye to his wife.<p>

They are both old now, and while he never thought he would see the day when he would have to tell her goodbye. The day had come.

He crawls into the hospital bed next to her and brushed the soft white hair away from her forehead, Kikyo and Arata had already said goodbye along with their grandchildren. Naruto and his son – the current Hokage – had already been by and said their goodbyes.

He was the only one left.

He knows what he has to do, but he doesn't want to be the one to send his wife into the next world, he thinks that it's cruel that after so many years he is being forced to say goodbye and be parted from her.

And yet looking at her, he knows this isn't her, this isn't the legend he knew, this isn't the third member of the second generation of Sannin, this isn't the beautiful, smart, amazing woman he grew up with, the same one who went through hell for him, this isn't the woman he grew old with, this isn't the Sakura he loved.

This was a frail and broken body that no longer contained the things that made Sakura, Sakura.

So it's with a heavy heart and slow aching limbs that he flicks the switches on the machines keeping her alive and he gathered her body into his arms, and lay his head on top of her heart, and he remembered.

And for a moment they were eighteen and she was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen coming down the aisle dressed in white. And for a moment they are new parents with a fussing infant and they are lost and floating and the only life preservers are each other. Just for a moment he imagines that this isn't real.

He can't tell you what it feels like to have your wife of sixty-four years heart stop beneath your hand, all he can tell you is that it hurts.

The clock strikes midnight and he kisses her cooling forehead.

"Happy Birthday Sakura . . . wherever you are."

* * *

><p>Sasuke passes away in his sleep on the eve of his eighty-ninth birthday.<p>

His children and grandchildren and Naruto – the final member of their legend – cry. But Sasuke doesn't know because he is greeted in a field of white by his parents and his brother and leading them is the most breathtaking creature he has ever seen. She's dressed in blood red a color he had always loved on her, and she's beaming when she reaches him. And he kissing her completely oblivious to the crowd. And when they finally break apart she stands on her tip toes and kisses his forehead.

"Happy Birthday Sasuke-kun, and welcome to forever."


	24. Influence

**A/N Not sure if this counts as SasuSaku since it's only a tiny bit of the whole story but i couldn't think of anything that has had a bigger influence on Sakura than her team, i mean she wouldn't be the same character we love if she hadn't been put on team seven. But anyway i think this one is one of my best so, please R&R. Reviews make my day...yes, I'm that pathetic.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>In my dreams<strong>_  
><em><strong> I'll always see you soar<strong>_  
><em><strong> Above the sky<strong>_  
><em><strong> In my heart<strong>_  
><em><strong> There will always be a place<strong>_  
><em><strong> For you for all my life<strong>_  
><em><strong> I'll keep a part<strong>_  
><em><strong> Of you with me<strong>_  
><em><strong> And everywhere I am<strong>_  
><em><strong> There you'll be<strong>_  
><em><strong> And everywhere I am<strong>_  
><em><strong> There you'll be<strong>_

_**There you'll be - Faith Hill**_

* * *

><p>She could taste the ash.<p>

She could see the flames.

She could feel the heat.

She could even understand why this was happening.

What she couldn't do was make this seem real and not like some terrible nightmare that she needed to wake up from, so her reality could commence. A reality were Naruto was Hokage, Kakashi was reading _Ichi Ichi_, Sai was still so completely naïve and ill mannered, and Sasuke was sitting watching it all with a smirk.

But that wasn't reality, this was real, and she really was alone.

She could still hear their voices and while she knew hearing voices was never a good thing, and could be an indicator for several things she would never tell anyone because to have them leave her again? It would finally kill her.

"_Sakura-chan, don't you wanna live your life?" _

"_Sakura, take it from me, don't live in the past, it does no one any good."_

"_Ugly, the lines on your face are getting deeper and making you uglier, stop it and relax."_

"_Sakura, don't do this to yourself."_

She chokes and backs up from the four burning piers.

Suddenly the flames are all too bright and she can't do it, because she knows if she stays, then she is going to throw herself right into the flames with her brothers - Naruto and Sai – her father, or rather figure who really might as well have been her father – Kakashi – and her love – her Sasuke – and while she misses them she doesn't want to die yet.

She turns and runs, she ignores the worried looks and she runs, she doesn't stop she doesn't look back – because she can't – all she knows is the feel of her muscles aching from the strain and then she is at where it all began and she is crying and screaming because she loved them and she needed them and dear god she missed them.

_"Shhh calm down Sakura-chan don't cry."_

_"Sakura it's okay, you'll be fine, were not all you have."_

_"Ugly, tears are not a good look on you."_

_"Sakura…."_

She knows it's the last voice that undo's her because he's always had that power over her, and she knows that death wouldn't change that. But regardless of what happens next she knows in that moment something died inside her.

* * *

><p>"You want to leave the village?"<p>

"Yes."

"Why?"

Sakura looks down and shuffles her feet.

"_Sakura-chan what are you doing? Are you crazy? Kohana is your HOME, you can't leave! You can't leave!"_

"_Sakura, are you sure about this?"_

"_Ugly, I don't understand?"_

"_Sakura…"_

She looks up, something inside her turning to steal.

"I can't stand it here anymore, this isn't my home anymore! Not without them! PLEASE don't make me stay, I need to leave for a little while, just to clear my head, I'm still loyal to Kohana, and I always will be but PLEASE you have to understand….please…"

Tsunade's eyes softened, Sakura wasn't much older then she had been, when Nawaki and Dan had died. If she was feeling anything like what she had felt, then Tsunade could understand her wanting to get out of the village for a while, in fact she understood oh to well, but that didn't mean she could just let her leave.

"Sakura, I'm sorry….I can't let you leave."

Sakura stepped back.

"W-w-why? Please just let me go…"

"Sakura we need you here….you _can't_ go, I can't _let_ you go…_we_ need you here."

Sakura shook her head furiously "NO, I have to go I can't stay here their everywhere, everywhere I look I can see them, their laughing and talking and – and – I can't stay here! I CAN'T! Don't make me – If you don't let me go then I'll leave."

Tsunade's eyes widened.

"I'll leave, and become a missing-nin you can't stop me Sensei, and you know it. Now PLEASE all I need is your permission and I can go and I'll come back, this is my home, but my home doesn't feel like home now and right now I need some time to fix that, and I can't do it here."

Tsunade lowers her head.

"I – yes, I understand. Sakura Haruno, you are to leave tonight for an extended mission, your due back here in two years, make them count."

Sakura smiles a small tight lipped smile before reaching over the desk to envelope Tsunade in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sensei, thank you."

"You're welcome Sakura, now go."

Sakura nods.

"Goodbye, Tsunade-sensei…"

Then she's gone.

Tsunade stares into space for a moment before chuckling the irony of the situation not lost on her. All those years ago when she decided to train Sakura she'd done it with the idea that Sakura would never have to bear what she did, that she would never have to be left behind again.

'_Damn you Jiraiya…..damn you Orochimaru….damn you, their just like us…' _

* * *

><p>Days fade into weeks, weeks fade into months, and months fade into years.<p>

Time still flows but for Sakura it's completely stopped. When she first set out she thought she would travel for a bit, before heading home well within the time period her sensei had set up for her. But within the first few months she realized she couldn't do it. So instead she headed off into uncharted areas. She'd seen so much, so many wonders far beyond what she'd ever thought were even possible, she'd seen towers of steal and white houses, and yet nothing made the ache go away, she still missed them and she still heard them whispering in her ear.

_"Go back Sakura-chan this isn't changing anything! GO back…please go back!"_

_"Sakura this isn't you, you need to go back, I'm worried about you."_

_"Ugly, just – you need to go back now and you need to – "_

_"Sakura, stop this, it's insane, you're going to kill yourself!"_

She thinks that she just wants to disappear to where they are.

* * *

><p>She gets back two days before the two year mark is up.<p>

She comes back to a vastly different world were her friends are all grown up and married and have families and she doesn't. She's still Sakura, still alone, and still missing them. But she's not willing to let this be her life, and so she takes up a little team of gennin to care for, and teach, and watch them fly with the eagles, she thinks this must be what it feels like to be a parent and to watch your children grow up.

She doesn't realize it at first, but after her team's first completed C-rank mission, Kakashi's voice leaves her.

"…_.Goodbye Sakura, watch your little brats fly like I did."_

* * *

><p>Sakura is sitting in front of the memorial stone, when one of her little eagles seeks her out.<p>

She's all flushed with the lights of first love and practically glowing, Sakura wonders who the boy is until she remembers the way her and Arata had been dancing around each other lately, and even though she already knows what she's going to ask Sakura tells her to speak.

"Sakura-sensei, what's love."

She smiles and hopes there are no bitter edges to it, and motions for her to sit down on the grass next to her.

"Well that's something hard to explain Ayame, why do you need to know…?"

The girl flushes and Sakura smiles.

"Relax Ayame, I understand, Arata's a wonderful boy."

She splutters but doesn't try and deny it.

"Love is an amazing feeling Ayame, it can make you feel like your floating and it makes you giddy and you blush when he's next to you, and you feel like it's the two of you against the world. It's an amazing bittersweet thing Ayame and people will try to tell you you're too young, but don't believe them – and sometimes your first love is the only love you'll ever need. Don't take it for granted, because love doesn't always come around again."

The girl nods sagely a look of pure contemplation on her face before standing. She looked so much like Sai in that moment that she expected her heart to break but it didn't hurt quite as bad anymore.

"Thank you Sakura-sensei…"

"You're welcome Ayame."

She won't notice it for a week but she lost Sai's voice and it terrifies her because what if she loses them all? Then she really would be alone.

"…_..Bye Ugly, don't cry too much, and try to smile; you look beautiful when you smile."_

* * *

><p>She's twenty-nine when Tsunade dies, and she's appointed the seventh hokage. She doesn't want it but one of her little eaglets convinces her to take it.<p>

She wonders if it's considered a sin or a favor to take your dead best-friends dream. She wonders if she's doing the right thing. She wonders who will watch her eaglets while she's cooped up in an office doing paperwork. She wonders if she'll be a good hokage. She wonders if she should feel so sick, when she should be happy.

She's pale scared and sweating when she's shuffled out in front of the people for a speech and for a moment she doesn't know what to say, what can you say in such a position?

"_Go on Sakura-chan I want you to have it."_

And suddenly her tongue un-knots and she knows exactly want she wants to – must – say.

"I once knew a boy named Naruto Uzumaki, he was blonde, loved his village more than anything, and was ironically hated by the very village he loved. He wanted to be respected and he wanted people to see him for who he was - not a beast - but for him. He was full of energy and was happy and hopeful and amazing."

"He would have done anything to be standing here were I am – he should be standing where I am – but he's not here and he can't be here, and while he deserves this and not me – I'll take it in his place, because I love this village and it's people and I want this village to prosper."

"I want my little team of Eagles to grow up in a time without war; I don't want anyone to fear leaving their home. I want this village to be full of smiling people, I want The Will of Fire to live on within the children of this village whether they want to be a shinobi or not."

"So I want to thank you for giving me this chance to prove that I was worthy of his friendship, and I want to promise that I will fight for the people of this village because it's my home and I'm proud of it."

There are a series of yells, and loud clapping and shouts of "long live the Hokage!" but she doesn't care because in that moment she could swear she could feel Naruto with his hands on her shoulders and for a moment she could swear she could hear his laughter dancing on the breeze.

And she can see Hinata in the crowd in her formal robes smiling up at her thanking her for remembering him and she see's Hinata's face light up when the laughter dances on the breeze again.

And for the first time since they were gone she feel's almost whole.

She will notice Naruto's voice gone one week later.

"…_..Bye Sakura-chan, please be happy, find yourself another teme, don't spend the rest of your life alone. Just please be happy…"_

* * *

><p>She smiles at Yoshi and says her goodbyes before turning around.<p>

She's thirty-one now and beginning to doubt that love comes only once in a life time, because Yoshi sends her flowers and talks to her and treats her like a person not the Hokage, and he seems to care for her. And she knows she's falling fast and hard, but she doesn't want to, she can't do that to Sasuke they were meant to be married and she'd sworn never to love again, not after losing him. She couldn't bare to be hurt like that again.

Turning into the Uchiha cemetery she kneels down in front of the stone under the willow and lays her head on the ground in front of it.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, I didn't mean to."

"_Don't apologize Sakura, you can't help it."_

"But I promised you and myself I would never love again, if Hinata can do it, why can't I?"

"_She didn't find someone obviously, but you said it yourself, love doesn't always come around twice, don't waste this chance Sakura, I want you to be happy."_

"But I feel like I'm betraying you."

"_You're not, I'm not alive anymore Sakura, and you are."_

Sakura chokes and shakes her head her pink bangs falling into her eyes.

"I_ loved _you…so_ much."_

"_I know Sakura, and I loved you as well."_

"I will never forget you."

"_I know."_

"And if you had lived I would have made you the happiest man in the world."

_"I know."_

"I wanted to die with you."

"_I know, but you didn't and know you have a second chance at happiness don't waste it."_

She nods shakily.

"We'll meet again right?"

"_I will always find you Sakura, no matter what, no matter where we are, i will always find you."_

She smiles shakily tracing the engraved name on the stone.

"Sakura?"

She looks up startled to see Yoshi smiling at her, a handful of flowers clutched in his left hand.

"Yoshi what are you doing here?"

"Just bring some flowers to my parents, but a better question is why you're here –" he takes a step towards her and rubs his thumb across her cheek "– you've been crying, who were you talking to just now?"

She smiles and shakes her head.

"No one, I was just…saying goodbye."

"Well I'm sure whoever it was they love you very much and wouldn't want you to cry, come on let me drop these off and then I'll take you out for some hot chocolate and dango, sound good?"

Sakura smiles and nods. She watched him jog down a few rows and smiles when she feels the wind tease her hair into disorder.

"Goodbye…_Sasuke_."

"Sakara I'm done come on let's go."

She smiles and links arms with Yoshi before heading east towards the market district.

"So I was wondering Sakura if – "

Sakura will later tell you that was the best second first date she'd ever had in her life.

"…_..Goodbye Sakura, I love you…."_


	25. Say My Name

**_A/N Amnesia fics are hard to make believable and i hope i did the idea justice. _**

**_Word count: 1,798_**

* * *

><p>The first time he locks eyes with her in years she is wandering the streets of a small civilian town.<p>

It's quite a shock considering she was thought to be dead.

He knows she sees him, and he braces himself for the inevitable conformation, but she simply looks at him for a moment before continuing on her way. He saw no recognition in her eyes and he was no clue how to feel about it.

All he can think is:

What.  
>The.<br>Fuck.

* * *

><p>He follows her for the next few days watching her every move as if it was all part of a grand puzzle that he had to figure out or risk dying. She goes about her business, saying hello's to villagers and buying groceries, and working at her job as the hospital's receptionist.<p>

It's nothing extraordinary, and that in its self is the problem, not only does she not recognize him but the way she moved – the cat-like grace she'd previously had was gone – even the way she talked was completely different.

He was slowly coming closer to the disturbing idea that Sakura didn't remember him, didn't walk or talk the same way because she simply didn't remember any of it.

It's a disturbing theory but one that seems to be more likely every moment he watches her.

After all Kunoichi don't trip over their own feet.

A Kunoichi wouldn't settle for a desk job.

And the Sakura he knew never ever would have forgotten him.

* * *

><p>It's on the eve of the sixth day that he finally approaches her.<p>

She's tired and her arms are full of groceries and he decides that if he doesn't do it know then he never will.

So he drops down in front of her and when she drops the bags – like he knew she would – he bends down to help her gather the fallen produce before offering to walk her home, she accepts and he follows her.

It isn't long before they reach her apartment building and she turns and casts a smile at him before leading him up the steps. Once he's inside the apartment he sets the groceries down on the Kitchen Island and turns to find Sakura wrestling with the tea kettle that was wedged between two pans.

"Shinobi-san I don't suppose you could help me?"

Sasuke chuckles but none the less walks over and unwedged the kettle, delivering it into her waiting hands.

"Thank you, Shinobi-san."

"Hn, your welcome."

She smiled and hummed under her breath as she prepared tea, Sasuke just watched her, the routine was so very familiar to him and yet it was different as well. Sasuke found that he almost saw things in an overlay, old Sakura with this new Sakura who trusted strangers far too quickly.

It was enough to make his brain hurt.

"Shinobi-san I must thank you for helping me with the groceries back there it was much appreciated."

Sasuke paused.

"Hn it was nothing."

Sakura turned towards him sweeping pink hair out of her eyes, and smiled, a playful glint lighting up her apple green eyes.

"Hmm maybe to you but it was a great help to me, I'll have to find a way to make it up to you."

Sasuke smirked.

Sakura nodded, just a bit dazzled by the way his eyes flashed when he smirked like that. He chuckled and swept across the room so he was standing right in front of him, his breath dancing against her lips, and for one moment Sakura feels like she's a braver person and she could kiss him.

But all to quickly the bravery flees, and Sakura takes a shakey breath and steps backwards. Sasuke smirks again and then:

"Hn I'll see you tomorrow Sakura."

"Wait Shinobi-san – "

But he was gone in a poof of smoke. Sakura coughs and uses her arms for fans as she shakes her head. It's only a half an hour later that she realizes he'd known her name without her even telling him it.

* * *

><p>Sakura laughs and swats at his arm.<p>

"Shinobi-san stop now you're just lying."

Sasuke frowns, he'd been trying to tell her about her chakra enhanced strength. Explaining the basic mechanics – because that was all he knew – hoping to jog her memory, but now she was laughing and not taking it seriously.

Perhaps the Sakura he knew was never coming back.

He sighs.

"Sakura, how did you come to be in this village?"

Sakura's whole body goes rigid, a small gasp escaping her formerly laughing lips.

"How – how do you know I haven't lived here my whole life Shinobi-san?"

"Besides your reaction just now? Your hair, I have yet to see a single blonde or red head, let alone someone with pink hair. You're the only one. Another thing is the way the villagers treat you, they like you and would help you if you needed c, but their wary of you. Now I'll ask again, how did you come to be here?"

Sakura sits very still for a moment and Sasuke fears she's stopped breathing, but finally she looks up her eyes scared and so very familiar.

"I-I don't know. I can't remember anything from before three years ago. All I know is what I've been told. The villagers found me on the outskirts, bleeding and near death, they took me in and cared for me until it became apparent I didn't know who I was, but was fully capable of working."

"They gave me the name Sakura because of my hair, set me up an apartment, and a job as the hospitals receptionist and I've been here ever since."

"The worst part is that I know I don't belong here, you see Shinobi-san I know I was once like you. They've never said anything to me directly but I've heard them whispering that when they found me I was decked out in an ANBU uniform, I know I don't belong here, but I can't remember anything else."

Sasuke sighs.

"You're sure you were once a shinobi?"

He knows she was but he needs Sakura to acknowledge it, because if she can then maybe she can remember someday.

Sakura nodded.

"Then rather you remember or not, all your training should be engraved on your brain. It's only a matter of accessing that data through practice. Which brings me to my next question, would you like me to train you?"

He's hardly prepared for her to launch herself at him crying and nodding yes, but it does nothing to damper the sweetness of the moment.

* * *

><p>It's the third week of their training. And Sasuke knows he can't put off going back any longer.<p>

But at the same time he can't leave Sakura here. Not when she was just starting to get back into the swing of things, she had just relearned how to walk on water and climb tree's with her chakra. He couldn't leave her here, he wouldn't leave her here.

So it's after one of their more intense spars when they're both laying in the sweet long grasses of the summer fields those he brooches the subject.

"Sakura where I come from – Kohana – there is a clan called the _Haruno_, there known for their chakra control and their pink hair."

Sakura turns to him a lock of pink hair lying against her cheek, and her apple green eyes alight with fresh and fragile hope.

"Do you think –?"

Sasuke nodded.

Sakura sighed and turned her head back to the sky.

"Shinobi-san, will you – will you take me back with you – just I need to know, I need to know who I am, and if this '_Haruno'_ clan knows something then I need to know too. I have to find something out, I can't live like this."

Even though he never thought of leaving her, he's glad she wants this.

"I'll take you back with me."

She doesn't speak for a very long time but when she turns back to face him there are tears on her face and dancing in her eyes.

"_Thank you."_

* * *

><p>They arrive within the hokage office by jutsu, startling Naruto out of his light sleep.<p>

"Teme? TEME What the fuck your three weeks late, your never late completing a mission what the fuck happened?"

Sakura steps forward before Sasuke can stop her.

"Hokage-sama, it's my fault that Shinobi-san is late getting back."

Naruto's mouth falls open before he's running out from behind the desk to where she's standing, and Sasuke's in front of her before Naruto can reach her and he glares.

"Dobe she doesn't – "

But Naruto's to quick the second time around and he's around Sasuke's back in an instant his arms wrapped tight around Sakura, and Sakura's very confused and only a little scared.

"I'm sorry – but – do I – do I know you?"

Naruto positively deflates.

"Sakura-chan?"

"I'm sorry but I don't know who you are. Do you know me?"

Naruto turns towards Sasuke his eyes pleading for it not to be true but Sasuke just nods, and Naruto thinks something breaks inside his heart, he'd thought she was dead for so long, and now he had his sister back but she didn't remember him.

It was the most bitter of ironies.

"She doesn't remember dobe."

Naruto nods before stepping back.

"What's your name?"

"Sakura…"

Naruto smiles softly and walks back behind his desk.

"Well Sakura, I'm guessing you'll want to stay here in Kohana for a while so how about I set you up a temporary apartment and a job?"

Sakura hesitates but something inside her is busting at the seams at the sight of the blonde and so she hesitantly nods.

"Well then I'll start making arrangements."

The blonde man grins at her as if she's long lost family and she finds she's more confused than before.

* * *

><p>Sakura is making tea for her and Shinobi-san – he still won't tell her his name and everyone else is surprisingly tight lipped about it – when it strikes her, and suddenly she remembers the tea pot crashes to the ground.<p>

And she rushing into the living room where Sasuke is sharpening his katana.

"SASUKE!"

And Sasuke looks up a light in his eyes that had been absent for so long, and she's launching herself at him laughing and crying as he spins her around in a circle, and she feels safe and warm and when he pulls back he's not smirking but actually smiling.

"Say my name."

"Sasuke."

She grins.

"Sasuke."

And in that moment he crushes his mouth to hers in a desperate kiss. Only to pull back moments later shock filtering across his features, she chuckles and pulls him back down for another.

The moment was perfect.


	26. Innocence

_**A/N Soooo much shorter than what i usually write but i think i got the message across.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>This innocence is brilliant<strong>_  
><em><strong> I hope that it will stay<strong>_  
><em><strong> This moment is perfect<strong>_  
><em><strong> Please don't go away<strong>_  
><em><strong> I need you now<strong>_  
><em><strong> And I'll hold on to it<strong>_  
><em><strong> Don't you let it pass you by<strong>_

_**-Innocence by Avril Lavigne-**_

She has an air of innocence about her in sleep.

He thinks as he stared at her sleeping face, his chin propped up by his hand. In sleep her face relaxed, little wrinkles disappearing, dark lashes resting upon suntanned cheeks, hair spread out around her head in a halo effect, in sleep she didn't look like the spit-fire woman she was instead she looked fragile.

She was beautiful.

He supposed the reason he hadn't noticed it before was because when she was awake she was in almost constant motion, sure he'd acknowledged that she was no longer the clumsy awkward girl of their gennin days and he'd acknowledged she moved with cat like grace because that was obvious. And sure he knew she was pretty, but before this she hadn't seemed spectacularly beautiful.

Sakura beautiful?

It had never crossed his mind.

But looking at her asleep in the grassy part of the training grounds after a long day, he wondered how he had ever missed it. She was stunning and he was oh so glad she was his. He bent down and kissed her forehead before relocating her head into his lap.

He supposed this is what first love feels like, the innocence and the beauty and the twists and turns of this brand new flame as it captures you in its grip and holds your heart in a vice, strange how if it was anyone else he would be running for the hills.

But here with Sakura he didn't care about keeping up barriers and practiced masks because she was cuddling into him, snoring lightly and he doesn't know what he did to ever deserve her love but he wasn't going to question it.

"SASUKE-TEME."

Sakura stirred and Sasuke hinged at the waist to glare at the annoying blonde.

"Leave Dobe."

Naruto for his part tried to protest _("But Sasuke-teme you said you'd train with me today! HEY wait is that Sakura-chan? Sasuke- teme what the fuck?")_ but finally left when Sasuke threw a few well planned kunei at his head that were probably a little to close for comfort, well the Dobe's comfort anyway.

"Sasuke-kun I love you..."

She yawned, and stretched arching her back like a cat, before rolling over and curling deeper into his lap, he smirked lightly and ran his hands through her petal pink locks.

Yeah, he supposed he was in love.


	27. Protect

**_A/N this was like the hardest thing to write and i don't know why, i hope it's not terribe!_**

**_Word count: 2,401  
><em>**

* * *

><p><em>Sakura is scared. <em>

_That's the most terrible understatement and Sakura hates it, but she is. She's supposed to be grown up right? She's supposed to be strong and proud and not be afraid when she's facing an opponent because if she is then that's letting them win._

_She's frozen and she's scared and yet she's not supposed to be because she was a shinobi and shinobi don't panic when they are confronted with a opponent that is stronger, no, they stiff their lips and continue on because if they go down then they will do it fighting tooth and nail for life._

_No one ever truly wants to die, shinobi as hardened as they are aren't exceptions to that._

_And Sakura is a shinobi, except she's not because she doesn't want to fight she wants to turn and run and never look back because in the last year she had seen so many things that make her cringe and want to run back to her mother and hide in the folds of her skirt like she did when she was a child._

_But isn't she still? She's only thirteen, barely on the cusp of adulthood and most certainly not a woman as much as she would like to think of herself as one. She's shaking and she's scared, but then there is the sound of laughter and she snaps._

_She snaps because she _is not_ a child, and she hasn't been for some time and now she's ready to do what she knows is right, forget what they think of her, forget what she's always told herself is right, forget that she's supposed to be a dignified Kunoichi. _

_She's not a child because children only think about themselves and can't see beyond their own noses. She's not a child because she has something – _two someone's_ – to protect, and if she wants them to get out of this alive then she has to fight._

_So she forgets that people might think she looks terrible, she forgets that she shouldn't fight dirty because only losers do that, she forgets that she's supposed to be poised and graced and that she has to be pretty all the time._

_She pulls a kunei._

"_Useless, that won't work against me."_

_She smiles savagely and she speaks._

"_What are you talking about? " _

_And with the hands of a girl turning into a woman, with the hands of a dainty little thing turned warrior, she brings it up and she cuts – _

Sakura sits calmly in the witness stand, back straight hands folded perfectly in her lap, she knows why the prosecutors looked so happy and the defense looked so wary. She isn't dumb she knows what they want her to say. By all accounts she knows what she should say. But that's not what she's going to say.

"You were Uchiha Sasuke's teammate, correct?"

"Yes."

"You were there when he deflected?"

"That is correct."

"You've also encountered him in battle, how did he act?"

"Openly hostile, I believe that he would have killed Uzumaki Naruto – my teammate – and I if given the chance."

She can hear Naruto hiss loudly from the back of the courtroom and she can see Kakashi's brow furrow wondering what she was doing, she could see Karin glaring daggers at the shackled man surround by ANBU.

"You also tried to eliminate him yourself, explain?"

"He was working with Akatsuki; our village had just been raised to the ground by them. He was a threat, he wanted to kill all of us – and I have always been loyal and I couldn't let that happen. So I took it into my own hands, was I acting on emotion? Yes. Do I regret it? No."

"You just said he was a threat, do you believe that Uchiha Sasuke should be pardoned?"

She closes her eyes, takes a breath.

"I do not, however I don't think – "

Three things happen at once:

Naruto snaps up and yells at her, asking what the hell she is doing, and is subsequently thrown from the courtroom, Kakashi following, most likely to make sure the blonde stays out.

There is an objection to her continuation.

And Tsunade, who up until this point had been sitting idly playing with the gavel and lounging in the thick plush chair snaps awake. A gleam in her eyes. She's amused, Sakura realizes, she knows what Sakura's trying to do, but she doesn't think she can do it.

Sakura has never wanted to prove someone wrong this much in her life.

"Let her speak."

The objector looks slightly disgruntled but none the less sits back down, and Sakura takes this as her cue to continue.

"As I was saying, he should not be pardoned. However because he is a special case he should not be executed like is common practice for missing-nin."

"Why?"

It's an Akimichi that she doesn't recognize that says something and he receives a glare from Tsunadde for speaking out of turn and shuts up but his question stands, and Sakura can hear the Jounin and the clan heads whispering amongst themselves, specifically the ones that had children involved in the initial retrieval mission.

She knows who she has to appease.

"Why, is his case different? Because in all the collective histories of the hidden villages has a missing-nin ever returned home on their own? No, but for some reason he did. You've already heard him speak about his reasons, and about what the deceased council did."

"So you think because his life was fucked up we should pity him and let him live at the possible expense of the village?"

Tsume Inuzuka.

"No, I think he should pay for his crimes, I think he should serve a set amount of time in Kohana prison and I think he should be watched over by the most trusted of ANBU for a time, I think that he should have to pay, but not with his life."

"And how do you propose that we deal with the multiple other villages that wish for his head?"

Hiashi Hyuuga.

"We don't have to appease them at all because it is none of their concern, frankly he was from Kohana first and he is our problem, think about it, who has the most to lose? Us? Or the villages that are hundreds of miles away?"

Tsunade looks at Sakura and then Sasuke and she speaks.

"How can we take anything you say into consideration when you were known to be in love with him, so aren't your opinions biased?"

Sakura stiffens but the very person who was questioning her now was the one who taught her how to act in a courtroom and how to be persuasive, how not to get flustered because then you'll be taken advantage of.

Tsunade taught her too well.

"That's not a question at all, if I believed he was dangerous to this village than I would be telling you to go ahead and prepare the gallows because he needs to be eliminated no matter how I felt. I hold more love in my heart for my home than for any man, and would never jeopardize it for something that may not even be true anymore, I am a shinobi, my home comes first, my love life and everything else second."

Tsunade nods.

"Very well that was our last witness; the court will take a recess for a short time to decide on a verdict.

Sakura swallows, nods, and stands. She's exhausted emotionally and physically so she stands and arches her back and walks towards the exit and she's proud that she never looks back, not once, to see if he was watching her.

She's confronted by Naruto outside the door who drags her into a bone crushing hug and holds her tight and doesn't let go, and she thinks that she will never get sick of it, he was like her brother and even with the war over and the threat to Jinchuriki's gone, she thinks she will always want to protect him.

If for nothing else because he would have done the same had their roles been reversed.

"You were amazing Sakura-chan, you showed them who was boss!"

She briefly thinks about questioning him on how he saw the rest, considering she had practically just gotten on the stand when he was sent out, but then she thinks and because she knows him and Kakashi is looking far to innocent she doesn't have to.

"Shadow clone disguised as someone else, really?"

He rubs the back of his neck and shrugs, and although she knows she should be angry at the blatant disregard for the law that stated no ninja arts are to be used inside a courtroom but frankly she can't bring herself to care.

Sakura slides down the wall and closes her eyes; Naruto looks concerned before understanding flashes through his eyes.

"You're tired Sakura-chan."

She nods because there is really nothing else that can be said.

* * *

><p>"Sakura-chan!"<p>

Sakura sits up in bed blearily, the first thing that crosses her mind is how the hell did he get in here, the second thing that crosses her mind is that she really needs to sleep with her window closed, the third thing that crosses her mind is that she should probably respond.

Rubbing her eyes she turns to where the blonde is situated at the end of her bed.

"Yes Naruto is there a reason you're here at – " she glanced at the clock "– three-thirty in the morning?"

The blonde practically bounces.

"Sakura-chan, the old people finally came out with a verdict. They took your suggestions Sakura-chan, you did it, Teme's safe! Come on, come on, we have to go Tsunade said she'd let us speak to him if we hurried, come on!"

Sakura starred down at her hands. She'd done it, she'd actually done it, despite the fact that she knew she should be happy, she wasn't. She was tired of it all, and while she would always fight for him she didn't want to see Sasuke. Not at all. She couldn't right now.

"Naruto, you go for the both of us – I – I just can't."

"But Sakura-chan, don't you want to see him?"

"No."

"Why?"

Sakura almost breaks when she sees the look that crosses Naruto's face and hears the broken note in his voice, he wants them all together again, but the very man who's life she just saved she still had nightmares about. She can't do it right now she needs time to think.

"I can't Naruto; I fought for him today because I don't want him dead. But Naruto, I can't see him; I still have nightmares about him you know? I wake up terrified with the sounds of birds in my ears, I'm scared Naruto okay? I'm terrified!"

Naruto looks down.

"Do you at least want to know what they decided on for his sentence?"

She nods.

"A month in jail, three years of ANBU supervision, a year of community service and than possibly he'll be reinstated as a shinobi."

"Okay, I'll go than, bye Sakura-chan."

She looks down.

"Bye Naruto."

He's gone within an instant.

* * *

><p>A month and three weeks later she is woken up in the middle of the night by knocking on her door.<p>

Sitting up she slips on a pair of slippers and slides her robe over her short nightie and shuffles through her apartment, throwing open the door she is surprised to see not Naruto on the other side but Sasuke.

"Sakura."

"Sasuke."

"Can I come in?"

She hesitates and then nods stepping out of the doorway and making room for him to step inside, leading him towards the living room she settles into her love seat and motions for him to sit on the couch across from her.

He sits and the room is silent until finally Sakura speaks.

"Why are you here?"

He looks up.

"Why are you afraid of me?"

"Because I just – I just am."

"That wasn't an answer, why are you afraid?"

"You tried to kill me."

"You did the same."

"You tried out of cold blood."

"I – I yes, I wasn't in my right mind."

She looks down at her hands folded perfectly in her lap. She could except it, she could let it all go but she's tired and she's hurt and frankly she doesn't want to let it go this time she wants him to apologize to her. It won't be enough to make everything right, but it will be enough to start to rebuild.

"Not an excuse."

"What?"

"I said, not an excuse."

"What's yours than?"

"A mercy kill, you weren't who you once were and I thought you were beyond saving at that point. The Sasuke I knew as a gennin would have hated to be that out of control of himself."

He looks at her for a long while.

"What do you want me to say Sakura?"

"If you don't know yet then you should go."

"No I'm not leaving, tell me what you want to hear."

She breaks.

"I want you to realize all the hell you put us through, I want you to regret giving me nightmares and making me nearly hyperventilate when I hear the sound of birds, I want you to feel something so I know that maybe we didn't waste our time, I WANT YOU TO APOLIGIZE!"

During her speech she had migrated so she was standing right in front of him staring into his face and his eyes, finally he looks down as if he can't stand holding her gaze anymore. Sighing she sags down in the couch next to him.

"I'm sorry Sakura."

She sits still for a long while until finally she reaches out and wraps her arms around him, he' s hesitant at first but finally he wraps his arms around her to, and somehow they end up wrapped in each others arms the rest of the night.

She thinks this is when the healing starts.

_- Pink locks fly to the ground like delicate flowers and in that moment she thinks that she really is ready to become a warrior because she needs them to be safe, and in the end what happens to her isn't so important as long as they are safe. _


	28. Lust, Longing

_**A/N: hope this makes you laugh or smile because i was smiling while writing it!**_

* * *

><p>It's the dumbest thing to be fixated on.<p>

He knows it is.

Any normal male would fixate on a woman's breasts, face, lips, her voice, her mind, her personality, her figure. Of course he likes those things as well, but what he can't stop staring at his her hands.

She's sitting next to him quietly only mumbling something every now and again, normally when she talks they would be flying around her head emphasizing whatever point she was trying to make, but right now she's not talking instead she's reading one of those ridiculously thick medical texts her hands only moving every now and again to flip a page or write a note in the margin of the page.

Her hands are delicate things, fine boned and pale, and resembling bird's wings more than the hands of a Kunoichi but he knows if he was to flip the right hand over it would have calluses from holding a kunei, and he knows that there are scratches where she has held the handle of her katana to tight.

And he knows that there are scars on both her thumbs from biting down to hard for a summoning jutsu, and he knows that there is a scar down her left palm where she had stuck her hand out to stop a kunei when they were gennin and had ended up with it embedded in her hand.

He knows these hands that look so pale and small can shatter mountains into rubble and he knows they can heal about anything, and he knows that they are soft despite the calluses and he knows that they are warm and –

"Sasuke-kun you're staring at my hands again."

She hadn't even looked up. Damn it. Sighing he kissed the crown of her head and leaned back against the tree making an effort not to look at her hands again.

He really needed to find a normal turn on.


	29. Possibly Maybe

_**A/N Instead of trying to base the whole thing around the song i just took a chunk of the lyrics because, well...i hated the song sooo much. LOL not much else to say just...enjoy!  
><strong>_

_**As much as I definitely enjoy solitude  
>I wouldn't mind perhaps<br>spending a little time with you  
><strong>_

_**-Possibly Maybe by Bjork-**_

"Sasuke."

"Sasuke open up, come on Sasuke."

Finally after five minutes and when he realizes she's not going away until he opens the door, he opens it. She doesn't allow him time to close it. Rushing into the apartment she shakes her head at the smell of Sake and sets her bags down on the kitchen island.

"When she turns around Sasuke is behind her.

"Not today Sakura, you need to go home."

She shakes her head and turns around to unpack the vegetables for the stir fry she was going to make while putting a pot of coffee on while shifting the bag of movies off to the side.

"Not leaving, I get it you don't want to go out in the village today; I don't blame you after what Naruto did unclassifying that document, people would be all over you today, but I'm not letting you stay here to get drunk."

He glares at her.

She shakes her head.

"I'm not leaving, you can glare all you want but I'm not leaving."

Later after Sakura has left along with her bag of cheesy movies – that were utterly horrible and yet disturbingly funny – he will realize that he hadn't thought about his family once since she came and he will realize just how much he had actually been hoping someone would come by and stay with him today.

He was just happy it was Sakura and not the dobe.


	30. Clan

_**A/N I love this one! And please listen to the song it's so amazing and so sweet i adore it.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>And we'll love the lovely years<br>Remembering all the years  
>Of such a great life<strong>_

_**And we'll love the lovely days**_  
><em><strong>They'll never fade away<strong>_  
><em><strong>Just look in my eyes<strong>_

_** - The lovely years by Fisher -  
><strong>_

They're old now, that's what Sakura thinks as she sits out on the deck flipping through a photo album, Sasuke sitting next to her and pretending he's not looking too.

She flips the page and laughs. Inside a glossy covering is one of their wedding pictures, in classic Naruto fashion he's trying to punching Sasuke in the face for saying something – she can't remember what anymore – while she is holding the two squabbling males apart smiling in a traditional Kimono peacefully.

"I think I like this one better than the real one."

Sasuke looks at her.

"Why?"

"It's not boring."

He quirks a bittersweet smirk.

"Nothing about the Dobe was boring."

She nods before turning the page to Sasuke holding their first child; he stared down at little Kikyo like she was the most amazing thing ever. She smiles again and flips the page to a toddler version of Kikyo holding her first and only son – Arata.

Academy graduation pictures follow and Sakura smiles softly at all five of them, before flipping the page weddings and births of grandchildren follow and she smiles softly as she closes the lid of the album and leans onto Sasuke's shoulder.

"We did good didn't we Sasuke-kun?"

He glances at her and kisses her once on the lips.

"Yeah we did."

They're part of a fading legend now, and they're old, but they've have one hell of a life.


	31. Blindfold

_**A/N And this my friends is what i call a wrap...i only finished two days before this years starts. LOL! But seriously thank you soooo much to all of you who have been with me from beginning to end, i love you all!**_

* * *

><p>"Why are we doing this again?"<p>

"You need to learn how to sense enemies behind you, ninety-five percent of the time if your battling one then there is another and they will come at you from behind."

"I know that, why am I blindfolded, is what I'm trying to ask."

"So you obviously can't cheat and look for me."

"Are you sure about this To-san?"

"Yes Kikyo, now begin."

Fine, fine, fine….Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

"Missed, again."

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

"Missed again."

* * *

><p>Sakura sighed signed her name for the last time, closed the file, and gathered the various medical texts to put back on the bookshelves before standing only to be nearly run over by her eldest daughter.<p>

"Kikyo!"

"Sorry Kaa-san, don't laugh when To-san comes in okay?"

Shaking her head at her daughter's strange reaction she once again gathered the books that had fallen on the floor only to stand up and nearly be run over by Sasuke who stormed in the house heading in the direction of their bedroom, the seat of his pants black and smoking.

Cupping her hand to her mouth she yelled:

"Sasuke-kun, throw those pants away, they can't be fixed!"

Gathering the vegetables for the stir fry she wiped the tears of laughter away, oh dear she sure did love her family.

"Kaa-san!"

Sakura looked down to see her youngest daughter – Wakana – sucking her thumb one side of her pig tails clearly cut off.

"Arata cut my hwair Kaa-san!"

"ARATA GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!"


End file.
